Axiom-4 Mission: Shubhanshu Shukla Prepares To Head Back From ISS

The Axiom-4 mission crew, who were earlier supposed to start their return to Earth by July 10, are to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday at 4:35 PM (IST). The undocking will take place from ISS’s forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module.

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is to facilitate the return journey of the Axiom-4 mission, comprising four crew members — mission pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, mission commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu.

Return aboard the Dragon Spacecraft is expected to be 22.5 hours. Following a series of orbital manoeuvres after undocking, the Dragon is supposed to splash down at 3 PM (IST) on Tuesday off the coast of California.

After splashdown, Shukla and his fellow astronauts will undergo a rehabilitation programme for about a week under the supervision of flight surgeons, to adapt back to Earth’s gravity.

“Forty-one years ago, an Indian went to space, and he also described how India looks from above, and you all want to know how India looks from here. Let me tell you, today’s India from space looks ambitious, fearless, confident, and full of pride. Because of these reasons, I am telling you again, ‘Aaj ka Bharat abhi bi sare jahan se acha dikhta hai’ (today’s India still looks the best in the world). Let’s meet on Earth soon,” said Group Captain Shukla at a farewell ceremony on the ISS.

“My journey (to the ISS) is going to get over. But your and my journey is still on; the journey of our human space mission is a long and also difficult one. But I can assure that if we are determined, even stars are attainable,” added Shukla.

Thanking fellow astronauts at the ISS, he said they had made his and the Axiom Mission-4 crew members’ stay special.

“Back from here, I carry with me a lot of memories, but one thing that really sticks with me is what humanity is capable of when all of us come together from different parts of the world and work for a common goal,” said the Indian Astronaut.

Group Captain Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to go to the ISS, and also the first Indian to reach space in the last 41 years. He was supposed to spend up to 14 days at the ISS; however, his stay got extended by a few days.

During his stay at the orbiting laboratory, he conducted several microgravity research experiments proposed by Indians from national R&D laboratories and academic institutions. He also spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had a couple of interactions with the student community back home via ham radio.

The Axiom-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and nations across Europe.