Indian astronaut Subhanshu Shukla has successfully returned to Earth after spending 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission. Shukla, along with three other astronauts, splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 3:01 pm IST on Tuesday.
Mission Highlights:
- Spacecraft and Crew: The Axiom-4 crew, consisting of Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Tibor Kapu, undocked from the ISS's Harmony module on July 14 at 4:45 pm IST, beginning their journey back to Earth.
- Re-entry and Splashdown: The Dragon spacecraft experienced extreme temperatures of up to 2,500°C during re-entry before safely descending through the Earth's atmosphere and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
- Experiments and Research: During his time on the ISS, Shukla conducted seven India-specific experiments, including studies on muscle loss, brain-computer interface, and sprouting green gram and fenugreek seeds in space.
- Rescue and Recovery: The astronauts were rescued by teams aboard the Axiom recovery vessel and will undergo a 7-day rehabilitation program under the supervision of Flight Surgeons to adapt back to Earth's gravity.
- Return to India: Shukla will return to India after getting clearance from NASA.
- PM Modi's Congratulations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Shukla on his successful mission, saying, "I join the nation in welcoming Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to earth from his historic mission to space."
- Family's Emotional Response: Shukla's family, watching the live broadcast, was visibly emotional as their son emerged from the capsule, with his father expressing gratitude to the nation and ISRO.