Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Prepares for Return from ISS After Historic Mission

Return Journey of Axiom-4 Crew

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS), is set to undock from the ISS on Monday after spending nearly 18 days on the Axiom-4 mission. The undocking is scheduled for approximately 4:35 PM IST.

According to a statement from NASA, the crew's departure operations will commence with hatch closure at 2:00 PM IST. The crew will enter their spacecraft at 2:25 PM IST, followed by the hatch closing.

The actual undocking will take place around 4:15 PM IST, with the event broadcast live on NASA+. Coverage will conclude about 30 minutes post-undocking.

Following undocking, Axiom Space and SpaceX will provide ongoing coverage of the Dragon Grace spacecraft as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere, aiming for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near California at approximately 3:00 PM IST on Tuesday, July 15.

The return journey is expected to last around 22.5 hours, marking the end of their nearly three-week mission aboard the ISS. On Sunday, Group Captain Shukla delivered an emotional farewell speech from the ISS as the crew prepared for their return.

In a modern twist, he echoed the famous words of Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space, stating, 'Today’s India is still more splendid than the entire world.'

He elaborated, 'Today’s India appears ambitious from space, fearless, confident, and filled with pride, which is why I can confidently say that today’s India is still more splendid than the entire world.'

Group Captain Shukla expressed his heartfelt thanks to ISRO, NASA, international partners, Axiom Space, and SpaceX for facilitating this remarkable journey. He emphasized the invaluable experience of collaborating with global professionals and the mission's significant impact.

The Ax-4 crew included Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from ISRO, European Space Agency astronaut Slawosz 'Suave' Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu. They engaged in various research and outreach activities during their 18-day stay aboard the ISS.

NASA reported that the Dragon spacecraft will return with over 580 pounds of cargo, which includes NASA hardware and data from more than 60 experiments conducted during the mission.

Axiom Mission 4 was launched on June 25 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS on June 26, ahead of schedule.