'Shux' is back from his space sojourn but India to wait till August 17 for astronaut's true homecoming

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth after his over two week-long space sojourn aboard the ISS. The Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the San Diego coast in southern California at 3:01 PM IST, capping a 20-day space travel of which 18 days were spent at the International Space Station. Shukla will return to Delhi on August 17, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said after the spacecraft returned to earth.

Waving and smiling to cameras, Shubhanshu Shukla and three other Axiom-4 mission astronauts emerged from the Dragon Grace spacecraft on Tuesday, taking their first breath of fresh air after completing their 20-day space sojourn.

The Axiom-4 mission had blasted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the ISS the next day.

Parachutes of the Dragon Grace spacecraft carrying crew members of the Axiom-4 mission deploy before splashing down off California.

Family members of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla celebrate the landing of Space-X spacecraft, in Lucknow

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla aboard the Dragon Grace spacecraft during his journey back to Earth after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station with other crew members of the Axiom-4 mission

The Axiom-4 crew were undergoing a medical check-up on board the recovery vehicle before being taken ashore in a helicopter.