Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, pilot of the Axiom-4 mission, has embarked on a meticulously timed 22.5-hour journey back to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule.
The spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 4:35 pm IST today, concluding a milestone 15-day mission in microgravity.
Accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, Shukla and crew are scheduled to splash down off the California coast after completing orbital manoeuvres designed to ensure precision and safety. Their return marks the culmination of over 10 million kilometres of travel and observation of more than 230 sunrises from space.
The capsule carries approximately 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA equipment and data from more than 60 scientific experiments, seven of which were selected by ISRO. In an emotionally resonant farewell on Sunday evening, Shukla reflected on India’s evolving space narrative, invoking the legacy of Rakesh Sharma and poet Allama Iqbal: “Sare Jahan Se Achha” still holds true from orbit.
Post-landing, the astronauts will undergo medical evaluations followed by a ten-day quarantine to readjust to Earth’s gravity—a crucial phase for long-term research on human physiology in space.
India’s investment of ₹550 crore in this private spaceflight collaboration further solidifies its growing presence in international space endeavours.
