Rajnath Singh meets India’s first ISS astronaut

New Delhi, Aug 21: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to serve aboard the International Space Station (ISS), in New Delhi on August 21. Rajnath Singh hailed Shukla’s mission as a milestone in India’s human spaceflight journey and praised his contribution to scientific experiments conducted in orbit.

He said the achievement would inspire young Indians to pursue science, technology and space exploration.

The minister also highlighted the Indian Air Force’s role in astronaut selection, training and mission support, noting its close collaboration with ISRO in advancing the Gaganyaan mission. India, which has already marked successes in lunar and Mars exploration, is now moving towards its own human space missions and a future national space station. Shukla’s successful ISS mission is seen as an important step in that direction.