Lucknow, Aug. 16 -- The homecoming of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla after the Axiom-4 mission has turned into a proud occasion for his family in Lucknow, who said they had been waiting for this day with great anticipation and were now preparing to travel to Delhi to welcome him.

Shukla's sister, Shuchi Mishra, said the family had been eagerly waiting to see him. "We've been waiting for this day for a long time, and now that he is returning, we are very excited. We are just waiting to meet him and hug him and congratulate him for doing such a great job for the country," she told ANI.

His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, expressed his happiness and said the entire family was getting ready for his arrival.

"Our son is returning, and we are...