After an 18-day stay aboard the ISS, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew undocked from the station on July 14. Their Dragon spacecraft is now on its 22-hour journey back to Earth.
After spending 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his Axiom-4 crewmates have begun their journey back to Earth.
Their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Dragon Grace, undocked from the ISS at 4:30 PM IST on Monday, marking the official end of their stay in space.
A smooth farewell and careful departure
According to NASA, the departure process began earlier in the day, with hatch closure at 2:00 PM IST. The crew entered the Dragon capsule shortly after and prepared for undocking, which happened smoothly at 4:30 PM IST. The spacecraft exited two key safety zones:
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- The ‘keep out sphere’, a 200-meter boundary around the ISS
- The 'approach ellipsoid', a larger 4-km by 2-km safety zone along the flight path
With these steps complete, the Axiom-4 crew is now en route to Earth, with the return expected to take approximately 22.5 hours.
Shubhanshu Shukla's proud farewell from space
Before leaving the ISS, Group Captain Shukla delivered an emotional farewell speech. Inspired by India's first man in space, Rakesh Sharma, he proudly said: "Aaj ka Bharat abhi bhi saare jahaan se acha dikhta hai." (Today’s India still looks more splendid than the entire world).
He went on to say that India today looks ambitious, fearless, confident and proud, even from space.
Shukla thanked ISRO, NASA, Axiom Space, SpaceX, and international partners for making the mission possible. He also praised the global teamwork and scientific collaboration that made the mission a success.
The Axiom-4 mission crew
The Axiom-4 mission crew included astronauts from four countries:
- Peggy Whitson (Commander, USA)
- Shubhanshu Shukla (Pilot, India / ISRO)
- Slawosz “Suave” Uznanski-Wisniewski (Project astronaut, ESA, Poland)
- Tibor Kapu (HUNOR astronaut, Hungary)
Together, they conducted research, education outreach, and over 60 experiments during their time aboard the ISS.
Cargo and experiments returning to Earth
NASA has confirmed that the Dragon capsule is carrying more than 580 pounds of cargo, which includes:
- Hardware from the ISS
- Scientific data
- Results from experiments conducted during the Ax-4 mission
These materials will be vital for ongoing research on Earth.
Launch and docking timeline
The Axiom-4 mission was launched on June 25, 2025, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS on June 26 at 4:05 PM IST, connecting to the Harmony module. The docking occurred ahead of schedule and was completed without any problems.
As the Dragon capsule travels back through space, preparations are underway for its splashdown on Earth. The capsule is designed for safe water landings and will be recovered by SpaceX teams once it reaches the Earth’s surface.
Group Captain Shukla's return marks a new chapter in India's space journey, especially as ISRO looks to deepen its involvement in global space missions.
