Shubhanshu Shukla Returns: Axiom-4 Crew Lands Safely in Pacific Ocean

Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, along with the Axiom-4 mission team, has safely returned to Earth after an 18-day scientific voyage aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft named Grace.

The capsule made a precise splashdown landing off the California coast in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday at 3 PM IST, concluding a journey that saw the crew conduct over 60 scientific experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The spacecraft, undocking from the ISS on Monday evening, took roughly 22.5 hours to reach Earth. Medical teams immediately retrieved the astronauts for health checkups and re-acclimatisation processes. Helicopters ferried them from the splashdown site for further recovery protocols.

Shukla’s mission builds on India’s growing collaboration with international space agencies and echoes past achievements such as the return of Sunita Williams, the Indian-origin astronaut whose SpaceX capsule landed earlier this year.

The Axiom-4 mission—the 18th crewed flight for SpaceX—marks another milestone in commercial and international space partnerships. The crew included astronauts backed by foreign governments and private ventures, showcasing a future-forward model for low-Earth orbit missions.

As India celebrates yet another space milestone, Shukla’s return highlights the country’s expanding role in global space exploration.