Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s second astronaut to venture into space, returned to Earth on Tuesday after an 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft ‘Grace’ splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, California, at 3:01 pm IST, marking a historic milestone for India’s space program. Shukla, alongside commander Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), waved and smiled as they emerged from the capsule, assisted by SpaceX’s recovery ship Shannon crew.
The mission, launched on June 25, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, saw the crew dock with the ISS on June 26 after a 28-hour journey. Over 18 days, they conducted 60 experiments, including Shukla’s seven ISRO-led microgravity studies on tardigrades, myogenesis, sprouting methi and moong seeds, cyanobacteria, microalgae, crop seeds, and a Voyager Display, all completed successfully. These experiments, costing ISRO ₹550 crore, provide critical data for India’s Gaganyaan mission, slated for 2027.
The Dragon spacecraft, traveling at 28,000 km/h, undocked from the ISS’s Harmony module on July 14 at 4:45 pm IST, completing a 22.5-hour return journey. A deorbit burn at 2:07 pm IST initiated reentry, with the capsule enduring 1,600°C temperatures before parachutes deployed for a soft splashdown. Recovery teams conducted safety checks, and the crew underwent medical evaluations on Shannon before being airlifted to shore for a seven-day rehabilitation to readjust to Earth’s gravity.
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"A hearty welcome to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he comes back on Earth after his space journey. His role in piloting of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station has created a new milestone for India's space exploration as well as for international collaboration in science and technology. My congratulations to everyone involved in this mission," the President said
Shukla’s family in Lucknow celebrated, with his father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, telling PTI, “This mission is vital for Gaganyaan.” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and UP CM Yogi Adityanath also praised Shukla, calling his achievement a “proud moment” for India.
The Axiom-4 mission, a collaboration between ISRO, NASA, and Axiom Space, marks the first government-sponsored spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary in over 40 years, following their Soviet-era missions. Shukla’s success, completing 288 orbits and covering 12.2 million kilometers, strengthens India’s path toward independent human spaceflight.
Also Read: Shukla's Stellar Voyage: Axiom-4 Returns Home