Shubhanshu Shukla returns to Earth today: How to watch splashdown
What's the story
Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), is returning home. The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, which included Shukla as the pilot, undocked from the ISS on Monday. The spacecraft will splash down off California's coast later today around 3pm IST. On its YouTube channel, Axiom Space will livestream the homecoming of the Crew Dragon capsule, including its high-speed descent, parachute deployment, and splashdown.
Mission details
Ax-4 mission a joint venture of NASA, ISRO, ESA, SpaceX
The Ax-4 mission, a commercial flight by Houston-based private firm Axiom Space, was a joint venture of NASA, ISRO, ESA and SpaceX. Shukla's journey marks a significant milestone in India's space exploration efforts and comes 41 years after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma's historic flight aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984 In his farewell address from the ISS on Sunday, Shukla spoke about India's challenging yet promising journey in space exploration.
Mission extension
Mission was supposed to last 2 weeks
The Ax-4 mission, commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, included Shukla, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Docked on June 26, the crew was initially scheduled to spend two weeks aboard the ISS, but their stay was extended by several days. Axiom Space reported that the astronauts conducted 60 scientific experiments, including seven developed by ISRO. India had paid $59 million to secure Shukla's seat on the Ax-4 mission, including the cost of his spaceflight training.
Astronaut profile
Shukla's experience will benefit India's human space flights
Shukla, who was born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, joined the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot in 2006. He has over 2,000 hours of flying experience on MiGs, Sukhois, Dorniers, Jaguars and Hawks. His hands-on experience during this trip to the ISS will benefit India in its human space flights. ISRO plans to launch Gaganyaan—India's first-ever human space flight—in 2027.