NEW DELHI: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) under Nasa’s Axiom-4 mission, met Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Monday with his family. CM Yogi announced that the state will launch a scholarship in Shukla’s name to support students pursuing space technology.After meeting Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, IAF Group Captain and astronaut Shukla expressed his gratitude, saying, “I had not expected the kind of excitement that I have seen. I am truly overwhelmed. It feels good to be back home. I am delighted with the love and support being expressed by people… I am excited that the momentum that has been built will help us in reaching where we want to be in our science journey.“Shukla had earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi after returning from the United States, where he presented the PM with the Axiom-4 mission patch and shared photographs of Earth taken from space.

The astronaut completed an 18-day mission aboard the ISS on July 15, conducting over 60 experiments with three other crew members. His participation in Axiom-4 is seen as an important milestone for India’s human spaceflight goals under the upcoming Gaganyaan programme.