Axiom-4 mission: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has returned to Earth
What's the story
Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), has finally returned to Earth. The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, in which he participated as the pilot, undocked from the ISS yesterday, and the spacecraft splashed down off California's coast today. Shukla's journey into space came 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic flight aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.
Mission
A joint venture between NASA, ISRO, and SpaceX
The Ax-4 mission, a commercial flight by Houston-based firm Axiom Space, was a joint venture between NASA, ISRO, and SpaceX. Along with Shukla, the crew included Peggy Whitson from the US (mission commander), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland (mission specialist), and Tibor Kapu from Hungary (mission specialist). They arrived at the ISS on June 26 and conducted 60 scientific experiments during their stay.
Message
Here's what Shukla had to say
In his farewell address from the ISS on Sunday, Shukla spoke about India's space exploration journey. He said, "It has been an incredible journey... The journey of our human space mission is very long and difficult. But if we are determined, even the stars are attainable." He also quoted Sharma's famous words from a song Sare jahan se achcha to say that "India looked better than the rest of the world."
Plans
Why the mission was important for ISRO
ISRO had invested $59 million for Shukla's seat on Ax-4 and his training. The agency hopes the hands-on experience he gained during his ISS trip will benefit India's future human space flights. ISRO plans to launch Gaganyaan, India's first-ever manned space flight, in 2027. It also has plans for a space station by 2035 and a lunar mission by 2040.