[By Our Correspondent]
The Axiom 4 Mission crew, including Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, is gearing up to return to Earth on July 14 after completing nearly 230 orbits and traveling over six million miles. A farewell ceremony for the four astronauts is scheduled for today, July 13, at 7:25 PM IST, NASA announced.
The crew, aboard the Dragon spacecraft, will undock from the International Space Station at 4:34 PM IST on July 14. They will carry more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted during their mission. Shukla and his fellow astronauts will board the spacecraft at 2:25 PM IST on July 14 to perform pre-flight checks before beginning their journey home.
The #Ax4 crew will soon conclude their mission aboard the @Space_Station. Watch the farewell ceremony live tomorrow at 08:55 AM CT ahead of their scheduled undocking on Monday. pic.twitter.com/YumjUmiQGO
— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) July 13, 2025
Also read: Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Makes History Aboard International Space Station
Shukla’s Return and Rehabilitation
Upon landing Shubhanshu Shukla India’s second astronaut to travel to space and the first to visit the ISS will undergo a seven-day rehabilitation program to readjust to Earth’s gravity according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). “Post-splashdown the Gaganyatri will be under the supervision of a Flight Surgeon to adapt back to Earth’s environment” ISRO stated. Shukla’s family filled with pride eagerly awaits his return. Speaking to PTI his father Shambhu Dayal Shukla shared “It was incredible to see his mission going so well. He showed us his workspace sleeping area lab and daily routine.”
Axiom 4 Mission Overview
Launched on June 26 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 the Axiom 4 Mission carried Shukla alongside commander Peggy Whitson from the US and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu from Poland and Hungary respectively. During their two-week mission the crew conducted research including experiments involving centrifugation and freezing of microalgae samples.
Shukla’s historic journey marks a significant milestone for India’s space program as he becomes the first Indian to set foot on the ISS.