Shubhanshu Shukla to Splash Down in Pacific
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three crewmates from abroad are on their way back to Earth as the Axiom-4 mission approaches its culmination with a splashdown in the Pacific off California, targeted for July 15 at 3:00 PM IST.
NASA reported that the hatch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft 'Grace' was closed at 2:37 PM IST, just ahead of when the crew started last-minute preparations to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) at 4:35 PM IST. The undocking is the start of their way back home after spending almost 18 days onboard the orbiting laboratory.
The mission, carried out by private company Axiom Space, had astronauts from four nations: India, the United States, Poland, and Hungary.
In contrast to a solid land landing, the Dragon spacecraft will splash down, parachuting safely into the Pacific Ocean, slowly bringing velocity to a stop. NASA specialists describe the technique as offering a "natural cushion," where the water dissipates more of the impact than land, lessening hazards to the crew and structural stress on the capsule.
Simplifying the descent process and removing the requirement for heavy landing gear makes splashdowns safer and more efficient," NASA said. This method of returning through water has been employed over the years in missions like Apollo, Gemini, and, more recently, NASA's commercial crew flights.
ISRO says the spacecraft is performing a series of orbit maneuvers after being undocked and is slated to splash down off California between 3:00 PM IST on Tuesday, July 15.
After they return, Shubhanshu Shukla, India's second man in space after Rakesh Sharma, will undergo a week-long rehabilitation program under the guidance of a Flight Surgeon to facilitate his acclimatization to the gravity of Earth.
The spacecraft is also returning more than 580 pounds (250 kg) of equipment and scientific results from over 60 experiments carried out during the mission, including medicine, agriculture, sustainability, and human health in microgravity.
Shubhanshu Shukla (India, ISRO)
Peggy Whitson (USA, Axiom Space)
Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland, ESA)
Tibor Kapu (Hungary, HUNOR)
The mission was also a landmark for ISRO's ₹550 crore partnership with NASA, setting the stage for India's ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight, which is scheduled for 2027.
Live coverage of undocking and splashdown has been confirmed by NASA through official sources, enabling worldwide audiences to view the last leg of the Axiom Mission 4.
