NEW DELHI, July 14: The undocking of the Axiom-4 spacecraft, which carries Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three other international crew members, is scheduled to begin today at 4:30 PM IST, marking the start of their return journey to Earth.
Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, confirmed the development and said the crew is expected to land back on Earth tomorrow around 3 PM IST. After landing, the crew, including Group Captain Shukla, will undergo a seven-day rehabilitation program under the close supervision of flight surgeons to help them readjust to Earth’s gravity.
Group Captain Shukla made history as the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and only the second Indian to travel to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984. His 14-day space mission, which began on June 26, involved conducting seven India-specific scientific experiments, contributing significantly to the country’s growing space research ambitions.
In a heartfelt farewell message from the ISS, Shukla described his time in space as “incredible”, expressing gratitude for the opportunity and pride in representing India on a global platform.
The Axiom-4 mission, launched aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, included three other astronauts: Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). The mission was organized by Axiom Space as part of its ongoing efforts to expand commercial spaceflight and international collaboration on the ISS.
