Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is currently on board the International Space Station (ISS), will start his journey back to Earth on July 14, Axiom Space announced on Friday.
Shukla, one of the four-person Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members, will ride home from the ISS on SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft along with American astronaut Peggy Whitson, Poland's Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungary's Tibor Kapu. The capsule will undock from the Harmony module's nadir port at 7:05 a.m. ET (4:35 p.m. IST) on Monday.
Axiom Space confirmed the mission in a social media post on X, saying: "The #Ax4 crew will undock from the @Space_Station no earlier than Monday, July 14, at 7:05 a.m. ET (4:35 pm IST)."
The return capsule should splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, some hours after launch.
Addressing a press conference, Steve Stitch, who oversees NASA's Commercial Crew Program, stated, "We are coordinating with the station program, monitoring the Axiom-4 progress closely. I believe that we need to undock that mission, and the target to undock at this time is July 14."
Shukla is embarked on a 14-day scientific expedition, a first in history as the first Indian visitor to the ISS and the second Indian astronaut to journey into space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's mission in 1984.
During his stay on the ISS, Shukla conducted seven scientific experiments planned uniquely for Indian research goals—part of India's push to advance its Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. Some of his work involved research on muscle atrophy, creation of a brain-computer interface, and germination of green gram and fenugreek seeds in microgravity.
In addition to his scientific responsibilities, Shukla took part in virtual interactions with school students from Kerala and Lucknow. During these 10-minute sessions, students eagerly asked him about everyday life in space—what astronauts eat, how they sleep, and what procedures are in place if someone falls ill.
Inquisitive students were also interested in learning more about the greater benefits of space exploration and what experiences in space Shukla enjoyed the most.
Talking about what it is like to fly on board the Ax-4 mission, Shukla explained to the students: "It is fun actually, because in space there is no floor and no ceiling. So if you were to come and visit the station (ISS), you would find someone sleeping on the walls, someone on the ceiling."
He described the experience of launch as "amazing" and "dynamic," conveying the excitement of flying outside the atmosphere of the Earth.
