Overview

• On National Space Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Shubhanshu Shukla for unfurling the tricolour on the ISS and invited youth to join a new astronaut pool.
• ISRO chief V. Narayanan said the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, carrying the Vyommitra humanoid, is targeted for around December 2025.
• Narayanan disclosed that ISRO’s prelaunch scrutiny forced a Falcon 9 scrub that uncovered a dangerous fuel‑line crack before Axiom‑4’s flight.
• Shukla, the Axiom‑4 mission pilot, said his 18‑day ISS stay yielded seven India‑led experiments whose results are expected within months.
• After returning to India, Shukla briefed leaders including the Prime Minister and President, with a civic homecoming planned in Lucknow on August 25.