Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently returned from space, is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening at his official residence on 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. The meeting is scheduled to take place between 5 pm and 5:30 pm, according to officials.

Group Captain Shukla made history as the second Indian to travel to space and the first to visit the International Space Station (ISS). He was part of the Axiom-4 mission, which launched from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, on June 25, and docked at the ISS on June 26. During his mission, Shukla spoke to PM Modi from space, where the Prime Minister urged him to document his learnings for India’s future space missions.

After completing his historic mission, Shubhanshu Shukla returned to India on Sunday. He had been living in the US for a year, undergoing training for the Axiom-4 mission. Upon arrival, he was greeted by Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, his family, and a cheering crowd waving the national flag.

In a heartfelt Instagram post on his way back to India, Shukla expressed mixed emotions about leaving his fellow astronauts behind while being excited to reunite with his loved ones. “I feel sad leaving behind a fantastic group of people who were my friends and family for the past year during this mission. I am also excited about meeting all my friends, family, and everyone in the country for the first time post-mission,” he wrote. Quoting his commander Peggy Whitson, he added, “The only constant in spaceflight is change,” noting that this applies to life as well. He ended the post with a line from the song ‘Yun Hi Chala Chal’ from the film Swades, which was also his anthem for the mission launch day.

The Prime Minister had earlier mentioned Shubhanshu Shukla in his Independence Day address, acknowledging his achievement and underlining India’s ambitious plans for its own space station. In honor of Shukla’s return and his historic mission, the Lok Sabha will hold a special session today to discuss India’s space journey and its critical role in achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed that Parliament will hold an elaborate discussion on India’s space program during the session.