- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, currently aboard the International Space Station, is scheduled to return to Earth on July 14, according to Axiom Space. Shukla, along with fellow crew members Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu, will detach from the Harmony module’s space-facing port inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for their descent back to Earth.
Axiom Space announced that the crew is set to undock from the space station no earlier than July 14 at 7:05 a.m. Eastern Time (4:35 p.m. Indian Standard Time). After undocking, a splashdown is planned in the Pacific Ocean near California, expected to occur within several hours.
Steve Stitch, Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, noted that the undocking is scheduled for July 14, and authorities are closely monitoring the mission’s progress.
Shukla’s 14-day mission marks a significant milestone, as he is the first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian astronaut overall, after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who traveled into space in 1984. During his stay aboard the station, Shukla conducted seven India-specific experiments, advancing India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight project. These experiments included studies on muscle loss, developing a brain-computer interface, and growing green gram and fenugreek seeds in space.
He also connected with students from Kerala and Lucknow via video conference from the ISS. During the 10-minute interaction, students asked questions ranging from what astronauts eat, how they sleep in space, to what happens if someone falls ill. They also inquired about the benefits of space programs and what part of his mission he found most enjoyable.
Shukla described the launch of Axiom Mission 4 as “amazing” and “dynamic,” sharing that space has no floor or ceiling, and during his stay, he observed astronauts sleeping on the walls and upside down on the ceiling.
