New Delhi, July 15 -- Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday hailed the safe return of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from the Axiom-4 space mission as a "moment of pride for the world, a moment of glory" for India, stating that the country had secured its rightful place in the global space ecosystem, according to an official statement by Department of Space.

"One of Mother India's illustrious sons is back. India has found a lasting space in the world of space," he said, while addressing scientists, media personnel, and senior officials after watching the live splashdown.

Group Captain Shukla, India's astronaut and a key member of the four-person Axiom-4 commercial mission, returned to Earth in the SpaceX Dragon capsule Grace, which ...