Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla reunites with family after ISS return, pics strike emotional chord
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla reunites with his family at a designated facility in Houston on Wednesday. Photograph: (X\@ISROSpaceflight)
Fresh from a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, Shukla—now the first Indian to visit the ISS and only the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma—was greeted by his family at a designated facility in Houston, where initial medical checks were conducted before the reunion.
Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla reunited with his family on Wednesday at a designated facility in Houston, US, a day after returning to Earth following his historic 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station and shared the heartwarming images of their reunion. Shukla said space flight is as “amazing” as seeing your loved ones after a long time. He got to meet his family less than 24 hours after he landed. Shukla shared the images on Instagram, showing him embracing his wife and son after being apart for over two months.
“Space flight is amazing but seeing your loved ones after a long time is equally amazing. It has been 2 months since I entered quarantine. During the quarantine, family visits we had to be 8 metre apart. My little one had to be told that he had germs on his hands and that is why he could not touch his father. Coming back to Earth and holding my family back in my arms felt like home,” he wrote in the caption.
Shukla made history as he became the first Indian to go to the International Space Station and only the second Indian to travel into space after Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Nicknamed Shux by his crewmates, Shukla returned to Earth on July 15 onboard SpaceX’s Dragon space capsule.
In the pictures shared by Shukla, his wife, Kamna, is seen embracing him with tears streaming down her face, while his son leaps into his arms and hugs him.
“Find a loved one today and tell them that you love them. We often get busy in life and forget how important the people in our lives are. Human spaceflight missions are magical but they are made magical by the humans,” he said.
“Now that Shubhanshu has safely returned, our immediate focus will be on his rehabilitation and ensuring he smoothly readjusts to life on earth. For us, simply being reunited after this incredible journey is a celebration in itself," Kamna told PTI from Houston.
“I am already preparing some of his favourite dishes, knowing how much he must have missed home-cooked meals during his time in space.”
The couple got married in 2009. They have known each other since Class 3, when they both studied at Lucknow’s City Montessori School.
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Shubhanshu is also part of ISRO’s plan to launch the Gaganyaan—India’s first human space flight—in 2027.
