Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who made history as the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), is on his way back to Earth after completing a landmark mission.
A live broadcast on Monday showed the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission undocking from the ISS, with its four-member crew led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and piloted by Group Captain Shukla. The spacecraft is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California within 24 hours. The landing is scheduled for July 15 at around 3:00 PM IST (09:30 GMT), according to India’s Science Minister Jitendra Singh.
Ax-4, a private space mission operated by Houston-based Axiom Space, is a collaboration between NASA, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), the European Space Agency (ESA), and SpaceX. The crew also included astronauts from Poland and Hungary.
Shukla is only the second Indian to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 flight aboard a Russian Soyuz. His participation in Ax-4 came after ISRO secured a seat for him on the mission at a cost of ₹5 billion ($59 million), including training.
During their extended stay on the ISS—originally planned for two weeks—the Ax-4 crew conducted 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by ISRO. Officials say the mission will significantly contribute to India’s growing human spaceflight program.
In a farewell message from the ISS, Shukla reflected on the significance of the mission for India:
“It has been an incredible journey. Even though now it is coming to an end, for you and me there is a long way to go. The journey of our human space mission is long and difficult, but if we are determined, even the stars are attainable.”
Echoing Rakesh Sharma’s iconic remark, he added, “From space, today’s India looks ambitious. It looks fearless. It looks confident. It looks proud. And so, I can once again say that today’s India still looks better than the rest of the world.”
Born in Lucknow on October 10, 1985, Group Captain Shukla joined the Indian Air Force in 2006 as a fighter pilot. With more than 2,000 hours of flying experience on various aircraft including MiGs, Sukhois, Jaguars, and Hawks, he was one of four officers shortlisted for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission scheduled for 2027.
ISRO views Shukla’s hands-on experience on the ISS as a vital step toward achieving its human spaceflight goals, which include launching Gaganyaan, establishing a space station by 2035, and sending an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
Before launch, Shukla described the mission as transformative and dedicated it to the hopes and dreams of a billion Indians. “The best is yet to come,” he said.
