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Watch: Shubhanshu Shukla smiles, waves after returning to Earth from 18-day ISS mission

Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first astronaut to visit the ISS and only the second Indian ever in space, looked cheerful and composed as he stepped out following splashdown off the coast of Southern California.

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Shubhanshu Shukla returns (4)Shubhanshu Shukla emerge from Dragon spacecraft after 18-day stay onboard ISS. (Screengrab from PTI Video)

Astronaut and Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla returned safely to Earth after an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), marking a historic milestone for India’s space journey. The SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying him and the rest of the Axiom-4 crew splashed down off the coast of Southern California on Tuesday.

Shukla, 39, was seen smiling and waving as he exited the capsule — a moment that drew cheers across India. A decorated test pilot, he completed his maiden space voyage as part of the Axiom-4 mission, a commercial mission supported by ISRO and NASA and operated by private firm Axiom Space.

With this flight, Shukla becomes the first Indian to board the ISS and only the second Indian to travel to space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s iconic mission in 1984.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his congratulations, he wrote: “I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India’s first astronaut to have visited International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit.”

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The Prime Minister added that this moment marked another important step toward India’s own human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, expected to launch in the near future.

During the mission, Shukla served as pilot of Axiom-4 alongside mission commander Peggy Whitson — a veteran NASA astronaut — and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The crew carried out a range of scientific experiments and engaged in outreach activities, inspiring students and space enthusiasts across the globe.

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