Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), has officially undocked from the orbiting laboratory, marking the start of his 21-hour return journey to Earth. Shukla departed aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft today at 4:35 PM IST, along with his fellow crewmates from the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission.
The undocking was preceded by an emotional farewell ceremony onboard the ISS. Reflecting on his groundbreaking mission and India’s rising stature in space exploration, Shukla remarked, “Today’s India looks ambitious from space – fearless, confident, and full of pride. Today’s India still looks ‘saare jahan se accha’,” echoing the iconic words of India’s first astronaut, Rakesh Sharma.
Over the next several hours, the Dragon capsule will complete multiple orbits around Earth, gradually lowering its altitude in preparation for re-entry. During this time, the crew will monitor the spacecraft’s systems, carry out final health checks, and ready themselves for re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
The capsule is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at approximately 3:00 PM IST on July 15. Recovery teams will be stationed nearby to retrieve the crew upon landing.
Following splashdown, Shukla and his fellow astronauts will undergo a week-long rehabilitation program at a medical facility.
During his 18-day stay aboard the ISS, Shukla contributed to over 60 scientific experiments, advancing global research in biology, materials science, and artificial intelligence. One of his most significant contributions was the Sprouts Project, which studied plant growth in microgravity – a critical step toward developing sustainable food sources for future deep-space missions.
Shukla also worked on studies analyzing how human cells adapt to space environments and tested AI-assisted robotics designed to aid in station maintenance and data analysis. The astronaut, serving as mission pilot, travelled aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft alongside mission commander Peggy Whitson from the United States, and mission specialists Sawosz Uznanski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
