New Delhi, July 15 (H.S.): Indian astronaut Shubanshu Shukla has successfully returned to Earth after his historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Axiom-4 mission. His Dragon capsule landed in the Pacific Ocean near California at 3:02 PM Indian time on Tuesday. Upon emerging from the capsule, Shukla smiled and greeted observers, celebrating his return after 18 days in space. The entire country watched the splashdown, with prominent officials, including Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, present during this momentous occasion. Following the landing, Shukla, along with the other astronauts, was moved to an isolation room for a week-long quarantine to allow their bodies to readjust after prolonged exposure to microgravity.

During their mission, the Axiom-4 crew conducted 60 scientific experiments across various fields, bringing valuable data back to Earth. Shubanshu Shukla personally completed seven experiments, which included research on the Indian tardigrade, myogenesis, and the germination of fenugreek and mung beans, among others. The mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Station in Florida on June 25, 2025, using SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket, with the astronauts arriving at the ISS the following day. This endeavor marks a significant milestone for India in private space exploration.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar