Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and Crew Make Dramatic Splashdown After Axiom-4 Mission

Successful Return of Axiom-4 Crew
New Delhi: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, along with three fellow crew members from the Axiom-4 mission, made a spectacular return to Earth as the Dragon 'Grace' spacecraft splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California, on Tuesday. This event marked the conclusion of an 18-day mission at the International Space Station and a 22.5-hour journey back home.
The spacecraft, which included Shukla, commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, successfully undocked from the space station at 4:45 PM IST on Monday.
SpaceX confirmed the splashdown via a post on X, stating, "Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, @AstroPeggy, Shux, @astro_slawosz, and Tibi."
Following the splashdown, SpaceX recovery boats were dispatched to retrieve the spacecraft and transport it to the recovery ship Shannon, where the astronauts would exit the capsule.
Before heading back to shore via helicopter, the Axiom-4 crew will undergo a series of medical evaluations aboard the ship.
The astronauts are anticipated to spend a week in rehabilitation as they readjust to Earth's gravity after their time in the weightlessness of space.