Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 14 (ANI): Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla on Monday expressed his excitement and pride as his son prepared to return to Earth after a historic 18-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The family offered prayers at a temple and at home, seeking a safe return for Shubhanshu and his crew.

Speaking with ANI, Shukla's father said, 'We are very happy and excited and are ready to welcome him. The undocking will take place at around 4:30 PM. We are very proud of our son. It is a matter of great fortune for us that his mission is complete... We never thought that our son would reach such heights... This is a matter of pride for our country and the people of the country. I thank everyone who prayed for our son...'

Asha Shukla, his mother, shared her joy and relief. 'It feels good; we are all very happy. We prayed that they all come back safely. We are very excited to meet our son after 18-20 days... We are very proud of our son,' she said.

Earlier, Shukla's sister Shuchi Mishra said, 'Today again we are feeling the same emotions that we had on the day he went for the mission. We will celebrate a lot when he comes back.'

'Every day, we prayed and thanked God. When we talked to him, he seemed very happy... Being a pilot and now an astronaut, he might have seen the different beauty of our nation, and there is no doubt that 'Saare Jahan se acha Hindustan humara', ' she added.

Group Captain Shukla, a key member of the Axiom-4 mission, spent his time aboard the ISS engaged in scientific and technical operations alongside astronauts from other countries.

The crew is scheduled to undock from the ISS on July 14 at around 4.35 PM IST, with splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at approximately 3 PM IST on Tuesday, July 15, with the return journey taking around 22 hours.

On Sunday, a farewell was held for the crew members at ISS, where Shubhanshu Shukla delivered a stirring speech, in which he quoted iconic words of Cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma: 'Aaj ka Bharat abhi bhi saare jahaan see acha dikhta hai' (Today's India is still more splendid than the entire world).

Shubhanshu Shukla conducted key experiments on plant growth and microalgae in microgravity, contributing to over 60 science experiments from 31 countries.

The Ax-4 crew, including Commander Peggy Whitson, European Space Agency project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu, spent nearly 18 days aboard the ISS. (ANI)