AXIOM-4: PERFECT PACIFIC OCEAN SPLASHDOWN

India caps landmark space mission, ISRO to step up next — Gaganyaan & space station

- MANISH KUMAR JHA

JULY 15, 2025 MARKS THE CONCLUSION OF AXIOM MISSION 4 with the safe splashdown of the Dragon “Grace” capsule carrying Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski, Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, and NASA veteran Peggy Whitson in the Pacific Ocean off California.

For India, Shukla’s return is far more than symbolic—it’s the first time an astronaut has stepped aboard the ISS and returned in over four decades since Rakesh Sharma’s historic flight in 1984.

Prime Minister Modi also lauded India’s historic space milestone in his tweet: “I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India's first astronaut to have visited the International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit. It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission - Gaganyaan.”

His 18-day stay, during which he conducted seven ISRO experiments—including growing fenugreek and studying muscle regeneration—paves the way for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission in 2027.

Shukla's successful mission strengthens India's standing in commercial spaceflight, fosters deeper international collaboration, and provides invaluable experience in astronaut training, microgravity operations, and human spaceflight readiness—crucial foundations as India charts its own path in crewed space exploration. Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla successfully piloted his Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members back to Earth as they splashed down off the coast of San Diego at 3.01 p.m. IST. The crew had departed from the orbiting laboratory on July 14 onboard the SpaceX Dragon.