Shubhanshu Shukla
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who set the country's history as the second Indian in space, following Rakesh Sharma, has finally embarked on his way home to Earth along with the Axiom-4 crew after 18 days onboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The SpaceX Dragon space vehicle separated from the ISS at about 4:50 PM IST on Monday following a minor hiccup in the procedure. There were no hiccups, NASA said, and the return sequence is still on track.
"The flight will probably be about 22-and-a-half hours," a NASA livecast commentator stated.
The astronauts are to splash down off California's coast on Tuesday, July 15, at approximately 3 PM IST. The spacecraft will take back more than 550 pounds (250 kg) of cargo, including vital research samples and equipment utilized while there.
The Axiom-4 mission, which was launched on June 25 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, had Shubhanshu Shukla as its pilot in the SpaceX Dragon capsule. The astronauts arrived at the ISS on June 26, a major milestone in India–US space relations.
Captain Shukla, who was representing the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), made pioneering experiments on muscle and skeletal deterioration in microgravity, essential for long-duration missions in the future.
He also contributed to the cultivation of microalgae as a viable source of food and was part of research on mental well-being, plant physiology, and blood flow under space conditions.
Shubhanshu Shukla (India – ISRO)
Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland – ESA)
Tibor Kapu (Hungary – HUNOR program)
Peggy Whitson, a seasoned NASA astronaut and now the director of human spaceflight for Axiom
In Lucknow, too, Shukla's family closely tracked all news from outer space. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, recollected their discussions:
"He took us to where he sleeps, works, and lives in space. There is no walking there — people just float around."
His mother, Asha Devi, added, "On the first Monday of Sawan, we worshipped Lord Shiva at the temple for his safe return."
NASA described the mission as part of a historic cooperation between ISRO and NASA, first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then US President Donald Trump. A NASA release stated:
"A collaboration between NASA and ISRO made it possible for Axiom Mission 4 to fulfill a promise. To launch the first ISRO astronaut to the station.
