‘Felt Like Home’: Shubhanshu Shukla Reunites With Family After ISS Mission

Houston: The first glimpses of Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla reuniting with his family after his groundbreaking 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have struck a deeply emotional chord across the country.

The images, filled with raw emotion and quiet pride, reflect not just the culmination of a space mission but the return of a husband and father.

After a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, Shukla, now celebrated as the first Indian to set foot on the ISS and only the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma, was welcomed at a Houston recovery facility, where he underwent preliminary health checks before reuniting with his loved ones.

Among the most moving moments was the embrace between Shukla and his wife, Kamna, who clung to him in tears after weeks of separation. Their four-year-old son, who had been staying with Kamna in the U.S., rushed into his father’s arms in a reunion nearly two months in the making.

Shukla had entered quarantine over a month prior to the mission's July 15 return, with pre-launch isolation beginning 15 days ahead of his departure making the reunion even more emotional and long-awaited.

Known affectionately as “Shux” among colleagues and now a growing fanbase, Shukla returned alongside fellow Axiom-4 crewmates: mission commander Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu.

Kamna, who has been in the U.S. since her husband’s pre-mission preparations began in Florida in late June, shared her relief and joy following his safe return.

“With Shubhanshu back on Earth, our priority is helping him gently transition back to normal life,” she said in a conversation from Houston. “This reunion just being together again is all we could have asked for.”

She added with a smile, “I’m already cooking some of his favourite meals. I know how much he must have missed home food while floating among the stars.”

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