Ax-4 Crew, Including Indian Astronaut, to Conclude ISS Mission and Return to Earth

The Ax-4 crew, featuring Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is preparing to depart the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14. The undocking is planned for about 4:35 PM IST, with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, near California, anticipated for July 15 at around 3 PM IST. This marks the end of their nearly 18-day mission. The return trip, via the Dragon spacecraft, is estimated to take 22 hours. The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla representing ISRO, Slawosz ‘Suave’ Uznanski-Wisniewski from the ESA, and Tibor Kapu, a HUNOR astronaut. The team engaged in numerous scientific experiments and outreach initiatives while on the ISS. A farewell ceremony with NASA’s Expedition 73 crew is scheduled. The Dragon spacecraft will transport more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments performed during the mission. During ‘flight day 18’, Kapu focused on the Fruit Fly DNA Repair study and the VITAPRIC project. Group Captain Shukla and his team evaluated Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) in microgravity. Other projects undertaken involved Voyager Displays, ENPERCHAR, Neuromotion VR, and Suit Fabric Study, along with the AstroMentalHealth and EEG Neurofeedback projects. The mission launched from Florida on June 25 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and docked with the ISS on June 26.