Axiom-4 crew including Shubhanshu Shukla heads home, splashdown tomorrow
The Dragon Grace spacecraft has undocked from the International Space Station, beginning its 22-hour journey back to Earth; splashdown expected at 3 pm IST tomorrow
India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, along with three other astronauts from the Axiom-4 mission, has begun the return journey to Earth after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station.
The Dragon Grace spacecraft has undocked from the International Space Station, beginning its 22-hour journey back to Earth. The splashdown is expected off the coast of California at 3 pm IST on Tuesday.
“The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked at 7:15 a.m. EDT from the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module, completing the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). Dragon is slowly manoeuvring away from the station into an orbital track that will return the crew and its cargo safely to Earth, targeting a splashdown off the coast of California on Tuesday, July 15,” said NASA in a statement.
The Dragon spacecraft is returning with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted during the mission, said the American space agency.
Earlier, Commander Peggy Whitson, mission pilot Shubhanshu 'Shux' Shukla, and Mission Specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu were seen boarding the Dragon Grace spacecraft, fully suited for their return to Earth. The hatch connecting the spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) was closed at 2:37 PM, followed by final checks conducted by the crew.
Also read:
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Live Updates
- 14 July 2025 11:37 AM
Dragon 850m away from International Space Station
Dragon 'Grace' spacecraft, carrying Shubhanshu Shukla and three other Ax-4 crew members, is making its way away from ISS.
- 14 July 2025 11:35 AM
Dragon spacecraft exits the 'keep out sphere' of ISS
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts, has exited the ‘keep out sphere’ of ISS, a 200-metre line around the International Space Station (ISS).
- 14 July 2025 11:27 AM
Second depart burn completed
Second departure burn known as 'Depart burn 1' completed. The astronauts will now change their spacesuits and continue their 22.5 hour journey to Earth.
- 14 July 2025 11:25 AM
What happens during the final stages of re-entry?
Final preparations include detaching the capsule’s trunk and orienting the heat shield ahead of atmospheric entry, which will expose the spacecraft to temperatures nearing 1,600 degrees Celsius.
Parachutes will deploy in two stages — first stabilising chutes at about 5.7 km altitude, followed by the main parachutes at roughly two km. (PTI)
