Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Set to Return from ISS on July 14
Return Journey of Indian Astronaut
New Delhi, July 11: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), is slated to commence his return to Earth on July 14, as announced by Axiom Space on Friday.
Shukla, along with his fellow crew members Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu, will undock from the Harmony module using the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for their journey back home.
Axiom Space shared on social media that the crew is scheduled to undock from the @Space_Station no earlier than Monday, July 14, at 7:05 a.m. ET (4:35 p.m. IST).
Following the undocking, a splashdown is anticipated several hours later, off the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean.
Steve Stitch, Manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, mentioned during a press briefing, "We are closely monitoring the Axiom-4 mission's progress. The current target for undocking is July 14."
Group Captain Shukla of the Indian Air Force is on a 14-day mission to the ISS, marking him as the first Indian to visit the station and the second Indian astronaut to travel to space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's journey in 1984.
During his time in orbit, Shukla conducted seven experiments tailored to India, significantly contributing to the Gaganyaan human spaceflight initiative. These experiments included studies on muscle atrophy, the development of a brain-computer interface, and the germination of green gram and fenugreek seeds in microgravity.
Shukla also engaged with students from Kerala and Lucknow through video calls from the ISS, answering their questions about life in space, including topics like astronaut diets, sleeping arrangements, and health emergencies.
Students were curious about the advantages of space exploration and what aspects of his journey Shukla found most enjoyable.
Reflecting on the launch of Axiom Mission 4, Shukla described the experience as "amazing" and "dynamic." He added, "It's quite fun because in space, there are no floors or ceilings. If you were to visit the ISS, you might find someone sleeping on the walls or even on the ceiling!"