Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is ready to return home. After spending nearly 18 days aboard the International Space Station, the Axiom Mission 4 team will undock today, 14 July, at around 4:30 PM IST.
Departure Schedule Set for Axiom-4 Crew
According to NASA, departure operationswill start with hatch opening at 2:00 PM IST. The crew is expected to enter their Dragon spacecraft by 2:25 PM IST. Hatch closing will follow soon after, ahead of undocking.
The undocking process is expected to begin at 4:15 PM IST. The actual separation of the spacecraft is scheduled for 4:30 PM IST. NASA will stream the full departure live on NASA+, ending coverage 30 minutes after the undocking event.
From there, Axiom Space and SpaceX will continue coverage online. The Dragon capsule, named Grace, will begin its descent back to Earth. Splashdown is scheduled for 3:00 PM IST on Tuesday, 15 July, in the Pacific Ocean off California's coast.
The full return journey is expected to last 22.5 hours. The capsule will carry back over 580 pounds of hardware and scientific data. NASA confirmed that over 60 experiments were completed during the mission.
Shukla Bids Farewell with Stirring Space Message
Before leaving, Shukla addressed the world from the space station. In an emotional speech, he echoed the words of Rakesh Sharma. “Aaj ka Bharat abhi bhi saare jahaan se acha dikhta hai,” he said.
He expanded the message with pride and purpose. “Today’s India looks ambitious, fearless, and full of pride,” he added. “From here, India looks confident, and that fills me with hope.”
He thanked ISRO, NASA, SpaceX, and global partners. Shukla spoke of unity, science, and shared purpose in orbit. He praised the chance to work with astronauts from around the world.
Axiom-4 Highlights Global Cooperation in Space
The Axiom-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson and Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla. They are joined by ESA astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and HUNOR astronaut Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
The crew launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on 25 June. They reached the ISS on 26 June, docking ahead of schedule. The spacecraft connected with the Harmony module’s space-facing port.
Throughout their stay, the astronauts conducted outreach and research. Their mission focused on science, collaboration, and public engagement. As they return, the world awaits their safe landing—and the knowledge they bring back.
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