India, Aug. 19 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence.

Sharing his experiences, Shubhanshu Shukla, who was part of the Axiom-4 commercial mission from June 25 to July 15, said that food remained one of the biggest challenges on a space station.

"Food is a big challenge on a space station. There is less space, and cargo is expensive. You always try to pack as many calories and nutrients as possible in the least space, and experiments are going on in every way..."

Shukla was warmly received by the prime minister, who hugged him and walked with his arm around the astronaut's shoulder.

Dur...