The return of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from the International Space Station is more than a triumphant homecoming ~ it is a bold punctuation mark in the story of India’s space ambitions.

For a country that sent its first man to space over four decades ago, the latest mission signals a new chapter: one not of borrowed seats and symbolic gestures, but of capability-building, international collaboration, and deep investment in the future of human spaceflight. Group Captain Shukla’s 22-hour return journey from the ISS, following an extended stay aboard as part of a four-member international team, marked the completion of India’s most meaningful manned space participation to date. It was not merely a ride-along. Backed by India’s space agency and involving seven Indian-designed experiments, this mission was a live test-bed for the skills, systems, and scientific acumen that will be crucial for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme scheduled for 2027. Yet beyond the technical significance lies the symbolic........

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