'Holding family in arms felt like home': Shubhanshu Shukla's emotional reunion with family in Houston

Emotional images of Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla reuniting with his family following Tuesday’s (July 15) splashdown have emerged on social media.

Shukla, who just completed 1an 8-day journey aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and became the first Indian to do so, was greeted by his family at a designated facility in Houston.

Kamna, Shubhanshu Shukla’s mother, wrapped her arms around him in a tearful embrace, overcome with emotion as she reunited with her son.

Shukla then scooped up his four-year-old son, who had been with him in the US, in a heartfelt hug. It was the first time the astronaut had seen his family in nearly two months, having been in quarantine for over a month before the launch.

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Shukla, in his Instagram post, mentioned how it was challenging for him to stay away from family, and that reuniting “felt like home”.

“It was challenging. Coming back to Earth and holding my family back in my arms felt like home. 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,” wrote Shukla.

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The quarantine, initially set for 15 days, kept extending, making the reunion even more emotional.

Shubhanshu Shukla has etched his name in history as the first Indian to orbit aboard the International Space Station and only the second Indian to venture into space, following Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission.

Affectionately nicknamed “Shux” by his crewmates, Shukla undocked from the ISS on Monday afternoon (India time) and returned to Earth after a 22-hour journey aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

During his time in orbit, Shukla contributed to a range of international scientific experiments in biology, materials science, and artificial intelligence.

His work on the Sprouts Project, which explores plant growth in microgravity, could pave the way for sustainable farming in space, marking a significant step for future space missions.