Daijiworld Media Network - San Diego/California
San Diego/California, July 15: Marking a proud moment in India’s space history, Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla, Indian Air Force pilot and astronaut aboard the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), safely returned to Earth today after spending 18 remarkable days—amounting to 433 hours—aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, nicknamed Dragon Grace, carrying Shukla and three fellow astronauts, made a successful splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California at around 3 pm IST on Tuesday, July 15.
Shubanshu Shukla has now become the second Indian to journey into space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's historic mission in 1984, and notably, the first Indian to set foot inside the orbiting space laboratory ISS.
The Dragon Grace spacecraft had undocked from the ISS Harmony module on Monday, July 14, at 4:45 pm IST. Before undocking, the astronauts, dressed in their space suits, entered the Dragon capsule two hours prior, with the hatch officially closed at 2:37 pm IST. After a slight 10-minute delay, the capsule disengaged using two thruster burns.
During their time in orbit, the Ax-4 astronauts orbited the Earth 288 times, conducting scientific experiments and international outreach activities. Shukla notably completed multiple microgravity experiments, including research involving Indian strains of tardigrades, cyanobacteria, and sprouting of methi and moong seeds — contributing valuable insights for India’s future space missions, particularly ISRO’s Gaganyaan programme.
Following splashdown, the astronauts were retrieved by a SpaceX recovery team and will now undergo a 7-day recovery and rehabilitation period. This is essential for them to readjust to Earth’s gravity after an extended period in microgravity, with a focus on physical health, balance, cardiovascular and immune response, and overall wellbeing.
Shukla's journey marks a significant milestone in India’s space exploration history, symbolising the growing role of Indians in international space collaborations and deep-space science.