Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Returns to Earth After Historic Space Mission

India’s First Astronaut to the ISS Completes 18-Day Journey Under Axiom Space’s Ax-4 Program

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), is set to return to Earth on Tuesday, concluding a landmark mission under Axiom Space’s Ax-4 program. This milestone makes him only the second Indian astronaut to journey into space, after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic mission in 1984.

Shukla and his international crewmates — Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) — boarded SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Grace” at 3:30 a.m. CT (2:00 p.m. IST) on Monday. The spacecraft undocked from the ISS’s Harmony module at 7:15 a.m. ET (4:45 p.m. IST), following a successful hatch closure confirmed by NASA at 5:07 a.m. EDT.

“Dragon separation confirmed!” SpaceX announced shortly after, signaling the start of a 23-hour return journey. The team is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, at approximately 3:01 p.m. IST (4:31 a.m. CT) on Tuesday. After recovery by SpaceX teams, Shukla will begin a week-long rehabilitation program to help his body readjust to Earth’s gravity following over two weeks in microgravity.

Originally planned as a 14-day mission, the Ax-4 stay was extended to 18 days to allow for additional scientific experiments and collaborative research on board the ISS. Shukla’s participation in this mission marks a significant milestone in India’s expanding role in international space exploration.

From orbit, Shukla delivered an emotional farewell message, calling the journey “an incredible experience.” Expressing heartfelt gratitude to ISRO, NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, he added, “India still looks better than the whole world,” while looking down at Earth from the ISS cupola.

Shukla’s mission has captivated millions in India and inspired a new generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers. His successful return marks not just the end of a journey through space but the beginning of a new chapter in India’s pursuit of space leadership on the global stage.