Axiom-4 Mission: Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Leads Crew Home After ISS Expedition

The Axiom-4 mission team, after spending approximately 20 days in space, has commenced their return to Earth, boarding SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, ‘Grace’. The spacecraft has successfully undocked from the International Space Station (ISS). The mission is captained by Indian Air Force Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is also piloting the spacecraft. The spacecraft is scheduled to land in the Pacific Ocean near the California coast at around 3 pm IST on Tuesday, July 15, after a journey of about 22.5 hours. ISS Commander Takuya Onishi offered his farewell message to the Axe-4 crew, praising their dedication. The crew comprised Mission Commander Peggy Whitson, ISRO pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Tibor Kapu. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla shared an emotional message from the ISS. The crew was deeply involved in scientific and social endeavors on the ISS. The ‘Grace’ spacecraft will bring back over 263 kg of research data and NASA equipment. The mission began on June 25 when SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, followed by a successful docking with the ISS on June 26. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh commented that Shukla’s scientific experiments, which were related to life sciences and plants, will benefit countries worldwide. These experiments, supported by India’s Department of Biotechnology and premier institutions, used completely indigenous equipment. He added that these experiments of Indian origin will now be utilized internationally.