1st Indian astronaut to visit ISS welcomed home as a hero

Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), received a grand welcome in his hometown of Lucknow in northern India earlier this week.

Shukla returned to India from the U.S. on Aug. 17, following an 18-day mission in space as part of the Axiom-4 crew. Thousands of residents, students and officials lined the streets and the airport to celebrate his historic achievement upon returning to Lucknow, according to local reports.

At Lucknow Airport, Shukla was greeted by family members and cheering crowds waving the Indian tricolour and chanting "Vande Mataram." Students from his alma mater, City Montessori School, joined the celebrations dressed as celestial objects, while a band played drums and trumpets, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

Shukla embarked on a roadshow in an open-top vehicle through the city, waving to the crowd. "Since I landed in Lucknow around 7:30 this morning, I must have clicked about 2,000 selfies," he said, according to PTI.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, joined by ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan and state officials, announced a scholarship in Shukla's name for students in Uttar Pradesh aspiring to study space technology. Adityanath noted that just four years ago, no universities in the state offered courses in space science, but today over a dozen institutes provide such programs. "This reflects our determination to contribute to India's growth story," he said.

Shukla's mission included 60 experiments in total, seven of which were designed by Indian scientists. "The proudest moment was performing experiments created by our scientists," said Shukla, PTI reported. "For the first time, they got the opportunity to conduct microgravity research. The real achievement is not just the data but the doors this mission has opened."

During a visit to his alma mater, Shukla encouraged students to dream big.

"While I was in orbit, no one asked me what astronauts do. They all asked how I became an astronaut," he said. "Please aspire … We have a great vision and ambition to land on the moon by 2040. And it would probably be one of you who would be setting foot there," he said.

"I am going to be in the competition!" he joked, drawing laughter from the crowd. "So work hard and we will compete together… Let's see who goes to the moon in 2040."

Ahead of the celebrations, local authorities conducted a cleanliness drive in the neighborhood where Shukla's family resides, relaid streets along his travel route, and decorated the area with patriotic posters and large digital screens broadcasting clips from his mission, according to Hindustan Times.

The Rashtriya Kisan Manch, which is a prominent farmers' rights organization based in Lucknow, has called for Shukla to be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.

The day after returning to Earth, Shukla met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, where Shukla described the challenges of readjusting to Earth's gravity after microgravity, among other topics. Despite feeling well, he said he stumbled on his first steps back on Earth and required support.

Shukla also shared with Modi insights from experiments he conducted aboard the ISS, including growing green legumes and fenugreek, highlighting their potential to address food security challenges both in space and on Earth.