Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his Axiom-4 crew made a successful return to Earth on Tuesday, with their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego at 3:02 p.m. IST. This return came 22.5 hours after the spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14.
Shubhanshu Shukla made history as the first Indian in space in over four decades, following in the footsteps of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who undertook his mission in 1984. The Axiom-4 crew was comprised of Commander Peggy Whitson from the United States, along with mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
During their 18-day mission aboard the ISS, the crew conducted around 60 scientific experiments from 31 different countries, delving into fields such as space medicine, agriculture, and human physiology in microgravity conditions. Shukla himself completed seven experiments assigned by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), focusing on various aspects including skeletal muscle degradation, the growth of methi and moong seeds in space, research on Indian strains of tardigrades, and testing an interactive Voyager Display under zero-gravity conditions.
Following the capsule’s recovery by the SpaceX vessel Shannon, the astronauts underwent preliminary medical evaluations before being airlifted to shore. They are set to travel to Houston to meet with mission teams and participate in post-mission debriefings.
ISRO has announced that Group Captain Shukla will participate in a seven-day rehabilitation program to help him readjust to Earth’s gravity, a standard procedure for astronauts returning from long-duration space missions.
The successful completion of the Axiom-4 mission is viewed as a significant advancement for India’s human spaceflight ambitions. The collaboration between ISRO, NASA, and Axiom Space is intended to enhance preparations for India’s forthcoming Gaganyaan mission. Shukla’s achievement has reignited national interest in space exploration and represents a proud milestone in India’s ongoing scientific journey.
