Shubhanshu Shukla, Axiom-4 crew are back home

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others of the commercial Axiom-4 mission made a fiery return to Earth as the Dragon 'Grace' spacecraft made a splash down off San Diego coast in southern California on Tuesday, capping a 22.5-hour journey after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station.

The spacecraft carrying Shukla, commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, undocked from the space station at 4:45 pm IST on Monday.

"Splashdown of Dragon confirmed - welcome back to Earth, @AstroPeggy, Shux, @astro_slawosz, and Tibi," SpaceX said in a post on X.

Speed boats of SpaceX, the transporter for the mission, were seen moving towards the spacecraft to bring it to recovery ship Shannon where the astronauts will brought out from the capsule.

The Axiom-4 crew will undergo a series of medical checks on board the ship before boarding a helicopter for a ride back to the shore.

The four astronauts are expected to spend seven days in rehabilitation as they adjust back to life on Earth under the influence of gravity, unlike the weightlessness experienced in orbit.

The crew—Shukla, American commander Peggy Whitson, Polish engineer Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungarian scientist Tibor Kapu—undocked from the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft Grace at 4:45 pm IST on Monday.

Final descent sequence

SpaceX confirmed that the reentry is proceeding on schedule. The de-orbit burn will commence at 2:07 pm IST, followed by trunk separation at 2:26 pm and parachute deployment at 2:57 pm IST, just minutes before splashdown.

As the spacecraft hurtles through Earth’s atmosphere, it will face extreme temperatures nearing 1,600°C, protected by its heat shield. A sonic boom is expected to announce its arrival before it splashes down and is recovered by a SpaceX recovery ship.

Upon retrieval, the crew will undergo initial medical checks on board the vessel before being flown by helicopter to shore. They will then begin a week-long rehabilitation process to readjust to Earth's gravity after nearly three weeks in microgravity.

Historic milestone for India

Shukla’s flight marks India’s return to human spaceflight after over four decades. The former Indian Air Force officer is the first Indian to visit the ISS and only the second Indian in space, following Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 Soviet mission to Salyut-7.

At a farewell ceremony aboard the ISS on Sunday, Shukla paid tribute to Sharma and reflected on India’s transformation.

“Aaj ka Bharat mahatvakanshi, nidar, confident aur garv se purn dikhta hai (Today's India looks ambitious, fearless, confident, and full of pride),” he said.

“That’s why I can say once again—today’s India still looks saare jahan se accha.”

Strategic boost for ISRO

India’s space agency ISRO reportedly spent Rs 550 crore (approx. $66 million) to send Shukla on this commercial mission with Axiom Space. The insights from his ISS stay will be vital in shaping India’s indigenous human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, targeted for launch in 2027.

Before undocking, the crew exchanged hugs and handshakes and donned their spacesuits, with Shukla signing off by saying:

"Jaldi hi dharti pe mulaqat karte hai" (We’ll meet on Earth soon).

with PTI inputs