Shubhanshu Shukla and three crew members lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25.
New Delhi:India's space exploration efforts are poised to mark a historic milestone as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), prepares to return to Earth following a successful mission under the Axiom-4 program. This mission, named Akash Ganga, is a collaborative effort among Axiom Space Inc., NASA, and ISRO, representing a significant step forward in India's human spaceflight ambitions, including the upcoming Gaganyaan mission and the proposed Bhartiya Antariksha Station.
Mr Shukla and three crew members lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25. They docked with the space station on June 26, and, weather permitting in the descent corridor, the mission, which Mr Shukla is piloting, will safely splash down on July 15. ISRO has confirmed that the splashdown is scheduled for 3:00 PM IST on July 15, 2025.
According to NASA's Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich, the undocking of the Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying Mr Shukla and three other astronauts is scheduled for July 14, 2025, at 4:30 PM IST. Following a series of orbital maneuvers, the spacecraft is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near the coast of California, USA.
In an update on July 11, Axiom Space reported that after spending 17 days living and working aboard the International Space Station, the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew is wrapping up their research projects. Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu "Shux" Shukla, and Mission Specialists Sławosz "Suave" Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu have maximised their time in orbit.
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