New Delhi | President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday congratulated Shubhanshu Shukla as he returned to Earth after his 20-day space sojourn, and said his role in piloting Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station has created a new milestone for India's space exploration.

"My congratulations to everyone involved in this mission," she said in a post on X.

Waving and smiling to cameras, Shukla and three other Axiom-4 mission astronauts emerged from the Dragon Grace spacecraft on Tuesday, taking their first breath of fresh air after completing their space sojourn.

The Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the San Diego coast in southern California at 3:01 PM IST, capping a 20-day space travel of which 18 days were spent at the International Space Station.

"A hearty welcome to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he comes back on Earth after his space journey. His role in piloting of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station has created a new milestone for India's space exploration as well as for international collaboration in science and technology.

"My congratulations to everyone involved in this mission," the President said.

Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer and test pilot, completed his maiden space voyage as part of the Axiom-4 mission, a commercial spaceflight supported by ISRO and NASA, and operated by Axiom Space.

The journey marked a milestone for India: Shukla is the first Indian to step aboard the ISS and only the second Indian to go into space, following Rakesh Sharma's iconic flight in 1984.

Born on October 10, 1985, just a year after Sharma's spaceflight, Shukla grew up in Lucknow in a middle-class family with no direct links to aviation or space. But a childhood visit to an airshow lit a spark.