Shubhanshu Shukla and three astronauts begin return journey to Earth

Chennai: After spending 18 days at the International Space Station, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubashnu Shukla and three other astronauts began their journey towards Earth and are expected to splashdown off the coast of California on Tuesday evening IST.

Shukla, the first Indian to reach the ISS and the second to land in space after Rakesh Sharma in 1984, Peggy Whitson of the US, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) entered the Dragon spacecraft at 4.45 pm IST on Monday.

Their spacecraft undocked from the ISS, marking the conclusion of their 18-day onboard mission. The nearly 23 hour journey will culminate in the splashdown off the coast of California at 3.01 pm on Tuesday. The space capsule will then be recovered by a specialised ship.

The astronauts spent about 433 hours, and 288 orbits around Earth covering nearly 7.6 million miles since docking with the International Space Station.

“This mission marked a new chapter in space exploration for India, Poland, and Hungary, paving the way for future missions and inspiring broader participation in the global space community,” Axiom Space said in a statement.

The crew will bring back impactful scientific data and their time in space is a reminder that “when nations work side by side, we can go farther — not just in distance, but in what we’re capable of achieving together”, Axiom Space added.

During his stay at the ISS, Shukla interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and students from across the country and shared his experiences at the ISS.

Shukla was part of the mission on the orbiting laboratory conducting microgravity research, technology demonstrations, and outreach engagements.

The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the US, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. The Indian astronaut will conduct seven microgravity research experiments during his stay at the ISS.

Shukla is one of the four IAF pilots chosen for Gaganyaan, the country’s first human spaceflight, and underwent a 10-month training from NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX for his journey to space. The experience gained by Shukla in the Ax-2 mission is likely to help Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. He is only the second Indian to reach space after Shukla landed in space as part of a Soviet mission in 1985.

Shukla carried 100 gram packets of ready-to-drink mango nectar, and ready-to-eat carrot halwa, and moong dal halwa as food. The crew also carried a small toy swan named Joy inside their spacecraft. Swan was chosen for its cultural significance as it symbolises wisdom and is the vehicle of Saraswati, and it represents purity and resilience in Poland, and loyalty and grace in Hungary.

Shukla, who was commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter wing in June 2006, became Group Captain in March 2024 with 2,000 hours of flight experience across aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, and Jaguar.