Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who scripted history by becoming the first Indian ever to reach the International Space Station (ISS), is set to return from the ISS. The Ministry of Science and Technology confirmed on Sunday that the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14 at 4:30 pm IST and is expected to splash down in just under 24 hours.
Comprising Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shukla, and Mission Specialists Slawosz “Suave” Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu, the crew spent 18 days aboard the ISS following their launch from Florida on June 25 and docking on June 26. Their time in orbit included witnessing a breathtaking 16 sunrises and sunsets daily as the ISS orbited Earth at 28,000 km/h, sitting roughly 400 km above the ground.
“A mission success! Learn more about the accomplishments of AX 4,” Axiom Space said in a post on X.
The post highlights the mission’s achievement as ”20 Mission Days, 320 Orbits Around The Earth, 8.4 M Miles Of Spaceflight, Over 60 Research Activities and 20 Outreach Events.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed happiness at Shubhanshu Shukla’s safe return. He said in a post on X, “Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s successful return from the historic Axiom-4 mission is a proud moment for every Indian. He has not just touched space, he has lifted India’s aspirations to new heights. His journey to the International Space Station and back is not just a personal milestone; it is a proud stride for India’s growing space ambitions. Wishing him great success in his future endeavours.”
Defence Minister spoke with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, on Shubhanshu’s return to earth from the International Space Station 18 days later. (ANI)
Here is what the U.S.-India Business Council said,”USIBC congratulates Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew on their successful return to Earth after 18 days in space as part of the Human Space Flight Mission – Gaganyaan. This mission reflects the strategic depth of U.S.-India collaboration in space and advanced technologies, setting the stage for greater commercial partnerships and innovation in the new space economy. The training and launch of an Indian astronaut aboard an American commercial vehicle represents the shared vision of our two democracies and the deepening cooperation between our two nations in strategic technologies and advanced space capabilities.”
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew assisted out of the Dragon Spacecraft onto the recovery vehicle after their return to Earth from the International Space Station 18 days later.
Union MoS (Ind. Charge), Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh said in a post on ‘X’, congratulated the Axiom-4 team, saying it is the “moment of pride” for the world and the “moment of glory” for India.
He said, “Congratulations, Team #Axiom4! A moment of pride for the world as “Dragon” successfully splashes down off the California coast near San Diego. A moment of glory for India as one of her illustrious sons returns from a successful voyage… having conducted for posterity, life-bearing experiments in microgravity, never done before. Bharat today finds an enduring Space in the world of Space!”
Axiom-4 Mission: On Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla piloted Axiom 4 returns to Earth, his mother Asha Shukla says, “Excitement is endless, and we are very proud. We were afraid at first… The upcoming generation should take inspiration and move ahead as well…”
Lucknow, UP: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s family rejoices and celebrates as he and the entire crew return to the earth after an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Welcoming Group Captain Shubhashu Shukla on his safe return, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on ‘X’, “I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India’s first astronaut to have visited the International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit. It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission – Gaganyaan.”
It is indeed a moment of pride for the world and a moment of glory for India because one of her sons is coming back with a successful voyage…” says Union MoS (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Space, Jitendra Singh, as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla piloted Axiom 4 returns to Earth.
In a historic moment, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew aboard Dragon spacecraft splashes down in the Pacific Ocean after an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). (ANI)
This is Dragon’s second human spaceflight mission to splash down off the coast of California after Fram2 returned Dragon recovery operations to the West Coast this past April.
As astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to return to Earth, his family home in Lucknow has been beautifully decorated in celebration of his historic space mission. Excitement is high in his neighbourhood, where friends, relatives, and locals are eagerly awaiting his arrival.
Colorful lights, banners, and flowers adorn the residence, marking the pride and joy felt by the community. Shukla’s mission as part of the Axiom-4 crew has brought immense honour to the city, making him the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station.
Axiom-4 mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla conducted a fascinating zero-gravity experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS), using water to demonstrate how microgravity alters the behavior of everyday elements.
Part of Axiom Space’s science and outreach programme, the experiment illustrated the unusual dynamics of water in space. By manipulating surface tension, Shukla created a floating water bubble and humorously remarked, “I’ve become a water bender here in the station.”
After spending 18 days on the ISS, Shukla, along with commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, began their return journey to Earth on Monday evening.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) paid around ₹550 crore for Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This milestone journey is expected to significantly contribute to ISRO’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, scheduled for launch in 2027.
Shukla’s trip marks a historic achievement as he becomes the first Indian to reach the ISS and only the second Indian to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma’s pioneering flight aboard the Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 mission in 1984.
Nilesh M. Desai, Director of the Space Applications Centre at ISRO, described astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey into space as “an unforgettable experience.”
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and the three other crew members of the Axiom-4 commercial space mission are on course to return to Earth, with a planned splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California, at 3:01 PM IST on Tuesday.
The de-orbit burn is scheduled for 2:07 PM IST over the Pacific Ocean, marking the spacecraft’s re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Key final steps before re-entry include separating the spacecraft’s trunk at 2:26 PM IST and aligning the heat shield to face forward, enabling it to withstand extreme atmospheric temperatures of up to 1,600°C.
Parachute deployment will occur in two phases — first, the stabilising parachutes at an altitude of around 5.7 km at 2:57 PM IST, followed by the main parachutes at approximately 2 km above the ocean, just before splashdown.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh extended a warm welcome to astronaut Shubhanshu Sharma on social media, writing,
“Welcome back Shubhanshu! The entire nation eagerly awaits your arrival back home… as you begin your return journey after the successful undocking of Axiom-4.”
The team conducted more than 60 experiments over a period of 18 days. This includes research on human health, space agriculture, mental well-being, and space suit materials.
Additonally, the spacecraft will return with more than 580 pounds of cargo, which includes scientific equipment and research samples.
Axiom 4 Mission: Director of Space Applications Centre, ISRO, Nilesh M Desai says, “The undocking took place at around 4:35 pm this evening. After a journey of about 22-22.5 hours, the Dragonfly spacecraft will land on the California beach. After deboosting and descending in between, it will finally land on the California beach at around 3 pm according to Indian time at Long Beach, California. After that, recovery operations will begin, in which the space astronauts will be recovered from the capsule…For the first time in 41 years, an Indian citizen, test pilot Shubhansh Shukla, is returning to earth after a fifteen-day journey in space. This has been an unforgettable experience for him, in which he also did many experiments in the space shuttle and the International Space Station…We will definitely benefit from this experience in ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission…” (ANI)
When India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington in June 2023, both countries announced they would create a structured plan to cooperate on human spaceflight.
Later, it was revealed that the space agencies of both nations, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), would work together in a bid to help an Indian astronaut travel to the International Space Station (ISS) by 2024.
India eagerly awaits your return, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh stated Monday as astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returns to earth after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS).
“Welcome back Shubhanshu! The entire nation eagerly awaits your arrival back home…as you begin your return journey, after successful undocking of axiom4,” the minister, Singh, was quoted as saying in a post on X.
Shubhanshu Shukla was involved in multiple key experiments that include the study of space microalgae in a bid to check their potential to create food, biofuels, and oxygen.
To support human life in various missions of space, the resilience of the space microalgae could play a key role.
“41 years ago, an Indian came to space and he told us how India looks from up above. Today’s India looks ambitious from space, today’s India looks fearless, today’s India looks confident, today’s India looks full of pride… today’s India still looks ‘saare jahan se acha,’” the Indian astronaut Shukla stated in his farewell speech aboard the International Space Station.
Humans have been curious to explore space. They have looked at the heavens and wondered about the nature of the objects seen in the night sky. With the development of rockets in the 20th century, it became possible to send people above Earth’s atmosphere into outer space. The first such mission to venture into space was Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957.
As space technology advanced, countries took a long race to go to space. The USSR and NASA have launched multiple missions to space. Some of them were short-lived, and some others lasted for a year.
Read Full Article Here: Astronauts Who Spent Shortest Time In Space: Find Shubhanshu Shukla, Rakesh Sharma, and Kalpana Chawla’s Days
The whole world is waiting for the safe return of India’s Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts who are on their way back to Earth from space. He is expected to land on July 15.
In March 2025, an Indian-origin US astronaut, Sunita Williams, had to return from space. There was significant anxiety around us. Sunita’s mission was initially planned for only eight days but was extended to nine months due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. It was a tough time because we had already lost Kalpana Chawla on February 1, 2003. We were fortunate that after undergoing a tough ordeal, Sunita and her fellow astronaut, Butch Wilmore, returned to Earth safely.
Shubhanshu Shukla Return: Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, carrying Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts, has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at around 4:45 pm IST on July 14. It marked the beginning of their return journey to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft ‘Grace’.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronaut, is expected to return on July 15, approximately at 3:00 pm IST.
Click To Read The Full Article: Shubhanshu Shukla, First Indian Ever To Reach International Space Station, Returns Tomorrow
Shambhu Dayal Shukla, father of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, said, “We are very happy that the undocking took place safely. We expect that the landing will also take place smoothly tomorrow. We have faith in the Almighty. We are all very proud of our son. The country is very proud of him that he is coming back after completing the mission…” (ANI)
Axiom Space said in a statement, “After approximately 433 hours, 18 days, and 288 orbits around Earth, covering nearly 7.6 million miles since docking with the International Space Station, the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew is officially homeward bound. Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu undocked from the orbiting laboratory today, marking the conclusion of their onboard mission.”
The statement read, “The crew is now en route to Earth, with splashdown off the coast of California tomorrow, July 15, at approximately 4:31 a.m. CT. Their return home will span roughly 22.5 hours. Live coverage of splashdown will begin at 3:30 a.m. CT.”
Watch the process of how the spacecraft will execute a series of departure burns to move away from the space station. Space X explains..
SpaceX confirms that the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, along with the crew, successfully undocked from the International Space Station.
Hatches have been closed, and all crew members are onboard. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, with India’s Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts on the Axiom-4 Mission, will undock the Harmony module of the International Space Station (ISS) approximately 7.05 am EDT (4.35 pm IST) today (July 14).
After undocking, the spacecraft will perform a series of departure and phasing burns to align with the correct trajectory for re-entry. At about 350 km altitude, the service module will detach, and the crew capsule will fire its deorbit burn, slowing down enough to enter the atmosphere.
During re-entry, the capsule’s nosecone closes and points its heat shield toward Earth, enduring temperatures up to 1,600 °C and strong G-forces. Once at 5.5 km, two drogue parachutes deploy to stabilize it; at 1.8 km, four main parachutes slow the descent for a safe splashdown.
SpaceX recovery teams will secure the capsule, assess safety, open the hatch, and begin medical checks. The astronauts will enter a 7-day rehabilitation regime to adjust back to life under Earth’s gravity.
Ax-4 crew carried out research, outreach during their stay aboard ISS.
