Florida: Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is all set to return to Earth today after a groundbreaking 18-day space mission aboard Axiom-4. The Crew Dragon capsule, carrying Shukla and three international crewmates, will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California around 3 PM IST.
The crew includes legendary American astronaut Peggy Whitson, Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu. After splashdown, the capsule will be retrieved by the U.S. Navy and the astronauts will be flown to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for a week-long medical evaluation. Shukla is expected to return to India following the debriefing.
The capsule undocked from the International Space Station at 4:45 PM IST on Sunday, with a brief 10-minute delay due to a communication glitch. It will spend approximately 22 hours autonomously orbiting the Earth before re-entering the atmosphere.
With this mission, Shubhanshu Shukla becomes only the second Indian to venture into space. India reportedly invested ₹550 crore in his journey, underscoring the country’s commitment to human spaceflight. His experiences will be instrumental in shaping India’s future space ambitions, including the Gaganyaan mission slated for 2027 and the upcoming Bharatiya Space Station.
Shukla, who reached the ISS on June 26, played a key role in completing over 60 experiments during the mission — seven of which were commissioned by ISRO. These included studies on seed germination, bone and muscle response in microgravity, and the behavior of microalgae in space. All experiments were successfully completed, ISRO confirmed.
Shukla’s return marks not just the end of a mission — but the beginning of a new chapter in India’s space journey.
