New Delhi: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS), is set to return to Earth after successfully completing an 18-day mission under the Axiom-4 (AX-4) private spaceflight. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying Shukla and three international crewmates will undock from the ISS at 4:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time) on Monday and is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near the California coast around 3:00 p.m. IST on July 15 (Tuesday).

Shukla, an officer of the Indian Air Force, flew to the ISS alongside veteran American astronaut and mission commander Peggy Whitson, ESA astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu. Their journey aboard the Dragon spacecraft marked the fourth private mission by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX.

During his time on the ISS, Shukla conducted a range of scientific experiments and outreach activities designed to inspire the next generation of Indian scientists and engineers. The mission brought back more than 580 pounds of cargo, including equipment and valuable research samples from over 60 scientific experiments carried out in microgravity. In a heartfelt farewell message from space, Shukla described his time aboard the ISS as “an incredible journey,” and thanked ISRO, Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX for their support.

He also paid tribute to Indian students and researchers who contributed to the mission’s scientific goals. Looking down at Earth from orbit, Shukla reflected emotionally on his homeland, saying, “Today's India looks ambitious from space, today’s India looks brave, today’s India looks confident, today’s India looks full of pride. And because of all these, I can say once again that today's India still looks better than the whole world.” As India continues to assert its presence on the global space stage, Shubhanshu Shukla’s successful mission marks a historic milestone. 

(IANS)