New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal welcomed back Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who piloted Axiom-4's 'The Dragon' spacecraft from the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth earlier today.

'Welcome back, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. India is proud of your courage, dedication, and service to the nation. Jai Hind,' Kejriwal posted on X.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also welcomed astronaut Shukla back to Earth, highlighting how the Air Force officer has been an inspiration to 'a billion dreams,' with his dedication, courage and spirit.

Shukla is the first Indian to visit the ISS, marking yet another milestone towards India's ambitions of carrying out its human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.

'I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India's first astronaut to have visited the International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit. It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission - Gaganyaan,' the Prime Minister posted on X.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also posted on X, 'Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's successful return from the historic Axiom-4 mission is a proud moment for every Indian. He has not just touched space, he has lifted India's aspirations to new heights. His journey to the International Space Station and back is not just a personal milestone, it is a proud stride for India's growing space ambitions. Wishing him great success in his future endeavours.'

The Dragon spacecraft piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla splashed down with grace, completing its mission after 18 days on the ISS. Waving to the camera, a smiling 'Shux' egressed from the Dragon spacecraft which he had piloted.

The spacecraft successfully landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, marking the safe return of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) crew.

The splashdown, confirmed by SpaceX, concludes a nearly 19-day mission aboard the ISS, fulfilling a significant milestone in Indo-US space cooperation.

SpaceX made the announcement of the mission in a post on X, as the mission marks the final stages of the crew's return from the International Space Station (ISS) after almost 20 days in space. The re-entry was done following the completion of the deorbit burn and the jettisoning of the trunk, as confirmed by SpaceX.

The Ax-4 crew, comprising Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz 'Suave' Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) astronaut Tibor Kapu, had been actively engaged in research and outreach activities aboard the ISS as part of the mission during the past 18-days. As per NASA, the Dragon spacecraft returns to Earth with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted during the mission.

Axiom Mission 4 was launched on June 25 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS on June 26 at 4:05 pm IST, ahead of schedule, connecting to the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module. (ANI)