Axiom-4 Crew, Including India's Shubhanshu Shukla, Returns to Earth After ISS Mission

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, along with fellow crewmembers from the Axiom-4 mission, has embarked on their journey back to Earth after an 18-day stint on the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft disengaged from the ISS at approximately 4.50 pm IST on Monday and is slated to make a water landing off the coast of California on Tuesday, July 15, around 3 pm IST, following a flight duration of 22.5 hours.

The Axiom-4 team is composed of Shubhanshu Shukla from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznański-Wiśniewski representing the European Space Agency (ESA), Tibor Kapu from Hungary’s HUNOR initiative, and Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and current Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space. Shukla’s role as the pilot of the mission marks him as the second Indian to travel into space, succeeding Rakesh Sharma's groundbreaking mission in 1984.

The Dragon spacecraft launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25 and reached the ISS the following day. Throughout their mission, the crew engaged in several scientific investigations, focusing on areas such as medicine, space agriculture, human physiology, and mental health. Captain Shukla spearheaded essential research on skeletal and muscle deterioration in microgravity and examined the potential of microalgae as a sustainable nutritional resource for extended space missions.

Returning with them is over 250 kg of cargo, which includes tools and samples from the research conducted on the station.

This spaceflight holds considerable diplomatic weight, as per a NASA statement. The Axiom-4 mission emerged from a collaborative effort between NASA and ISRO, realizing a bilateral pledge made by former US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send an ISRO astronaut to the ISS for the first time.

In Lucknow, anticipation runs high as Shubhanshu Shukla’s family awaits his safe return. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, recounted how during video calls, Shubhanshu showed his family around his living and working quarters on the ISS and shared his experiences of floating in microgravity. His mother, Asha Devi, mentioned that the family had prayed at a local temple for his safe return on the first Monday of the holy month of Sawan.

Shubhanshu Shukla's mission signifies a significant achievement for India's space objectives and enhances global cooperation in human space exploration. The successful landing of the Axiom-4 mission will not only mark the return of its four astronauts but also herald a new phase in international space partnerships.