Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Concludes Axiom-4 Mission and Returns to Earth

Successful Separation from the ISS

The Axiom-4 mission marked a significant milestone as it successfully separated from the International Space Station (ISS) at 4:45 PM IST on Monday. Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is scheduled to return to Earth on July 15, approximately at 3 PM. The entire process, including both separation and splashdown, is planned with a one-hour interval. Shukla, who is India's second astronaut, has completed the Axiom-4 mission and has embarked on his journey back from the ISS, which will take around 22.5 hours.

Highlights of Shukla's Historic Space Journey

During his 20-day mission, Shukla orbited the Earth over 310 times, traveling a staggering distance of about 13 million kilometers, which is 33 times the distance to the Moon. Throughout this period, the mission team experienced the breathtaking phenomenon of witnessing sunrises and sunsets more than 300 times, a rare opportunity that showcases the unique dynamics of low Earth orbit.

Simultaneously, the Dragon capsule named 'Grace' is executing precise technical maneuvers to separate from the ISS and is now entering its trajectory back to Earth, involving several carefully calculated departure burns.