Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Set to Return from ISS

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station, is preparing for his return to Earth after a successful mission. Scheduled to undock on July 14, the crew will conduct a farewell ceremony with NASA's Expedition 73 before their splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. During their nearly 18-day stay, they engaged in numerous scientific experiments, including studies on genetic stability and astronaut health. This mission marks a significant milestone in India's space exploration efforts. Discover more about their journey and the groundbreaking research conducted in microgravity.
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Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Set to Return from ISS

Return Journey of IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to journey to the International Space Station (ISS), is scheduled to return to Earth on July 14, alongside his crew from Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). The crew plans to undock from the ISS at approximately 4:35 PM IST, with a splashdown anticipated in the Pacific Ocean near California around 3 PM IST on July 15.


The return trip aboard the Dragon spacecraft will last about 22 hours, marking the end of their nearly 18-day mission at the ISS. The Ax-4 crew comprises Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Slawosz 'Suave' Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu.


Throughout their mission, the team engaged in various scientific experiments and outreach initiatives aboard the space station. A live farewell ceremony with NASA's Expedition 73 crew is set for 08:55 AM CT (7:25 PM IST) tomorrow. Axiom Space announced on X, 'The Ax-4 crew will soon conclude their mission aboard the ISS. Tune in for the farewell ceremony live tomorrow at 08:55 AM CT before their scheduled undocking on Monday.'


The Dragon spacecraft will return with over 580 pounds of cargo, which includes NASA equipment and data from more than 60 experiments conducted during their time in space. On 'flight day 18', Kapu continued his research on the Fruit Fly DNA Repair study, focusing on genetic stability in the presence of space radiation, as well as the VITAPRIC project, which aims to grow nutrient-rich plants for astronaut diets.


Group Captain Shukla and his team evaluated Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) to determine their effectiveness in microgravity, a vital step for allowing diabetic individuals to participate in space missions, as part of the Suite Ride initiative. Other studies on flight day 18 included Voyager Displays, which looked into eye movement and coordination, and ENPERCHAR, which examined astronaut perception in microgravity.


The Neuromotion VR study focused on attention and motor skills, while the Suit Fabric Study collected data on heat transfer, influencing spacesuit design and its applications on Earth. The crew also contributed to the AstroMentalHealth and EEG Neurofeedback projects, which targeted mental health and stress alleviation.


Axiom Mission 4 was launched on June 25 using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS on June 26 at 4:05 PM IST, ahead of schedule, connecting to the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module.


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