Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Returns Safely After Successful Axiom-4 Mission with SpaceX
The Axiom-4 mission has officially concluded with a successful splashdown landing of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Tuesday, July 15, at 3 PM IST. On board the spacecraft was Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of ISRO, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS), alongside three international crewmates.
The return marked the end of an 18-day mission aboard the ISS and a 22.5-hour journey back to Earth. The spacecraft, named ‘Grace,’ undocked from the ISS around 4:50 PM IST on Monday and landed safely in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. NASA confirmed that recovery helicopters promptly ferried the crew out for post-landing re-acclimatisation.
The Ax-4 mission was piloted by Shubhanshu Shukla and led by Commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and current Axiom Space representative. Other crew members included ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu, marking a symbolic return to space exploration for their respective nations.
During the mission, launched on June 25 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the crew carried out over 60 scientific experiments. These included research in medicine, agriculture, water management, and the effects of microgravity on the human body — all critical to long-term space habitation and planetary sustainability.
The Axiom-4 mission is seen as a milestone for India’s space ambitions, particularly its upcoming Gaganyaan mission scheduled for 2027, which will mark India’s first fully independent human spaceflight. Shukla’s role in Ax-4 is being hailed as a precursor and confidence-booster for India’s future crewed missions.
This was the 18th crewed spaceflight by SpaceX since 2020 and another step forward for Axiom Space’s goal of creating a commercial space station to replace the ISS by 2030. With successful international collaborations and private-sector involvement, space missions like Ax-4 are reshaping the global astronautical landscape.
India proudly welcomes its space hero back home — safe, accomplished, and ready for the next chapter.
