Shubhanshu Shukla’s Historic Space Journey: Return to Earth Imminent

The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission separated from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday at 4:45 pm (IST). Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is scheduled to return to Earth around 3 pm on July 15. A one-hour period is allocated for separation and splashdown. Shubhanshu Shukla, representing India, has successfully concluded the Axiom-4 mission and is en route from the ISS, with the return trip estimated to take around 22.5 hours. During his 20-day mission, Shukla completed over 310 orbits of Earth, traveling approximately 1.3 crore kilometers – a distance 33 times greater than that between the Earth and the Moon. The mission team observed the rare occurrence of sunrise and sunset more than 300 times, providing a glimpse into the workings of low Earth orbit. The Dragon capsule ‘Grace’ is currently employing precise technical maneuvers to detach from the ISS and begin its return to Earth, which includes several departure burns.