After 18 days in space, Shubhanshu Shukla and Axiom-4 crew begin return journey to Earth today

New Delhi: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS), is set to begin his journey back to Earth after concluding an 18-day space mission under the Axiom-4 (AX-4) private flight initiative.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying Shukla and three fellow astronauts, is scheduled to undock from the ISS at 4.30 pm IST on Monday. The capsule is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at around 3.00 pm IST on Tuesday, July 15.

Shukla, an officer of the Indian Air Force, flew to the ISS alongside veteran American astronaut and mission commander Peggy Whitson, ESA astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu. Their journey aboard the Dragon spacecraft marked the fourth private mission by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX.

During his stay aboard the ISS, Shukla undertook several scientific experiments and participated in outreach efforts aimed at motivating young Indian scientists and engineers. The mission returned with more than 580 pounds of cargo, which includes scientific equipment and research samples from over 60 experiments conducted in microgravity conditions.

In a heartfelt farewell message from space, Shukla described his time aboard the ISS as “an incredible journey,” and thanked ISRO, Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX for their support.

He also acknowledged the contributions of Indian students and researchers involved in fulfilling the scientific objectives of the mission.

Looking down at Earth from orbit, Shukla reflected emotionally on his homeland, saying, “Today's India looks ambitious from space, today’s India looks brave, today’s India looks confident, today’s India looks full of pride. And because of all these, I can say once again that today's India still looks better than the whole world.”

As India continues to assert its presence on the global space stage, Shubhanshu Shukla’s successful mission marks a historic milestone.

IANS