Astronaut Shukla to Undergo 7-Day Rehab Post Splashdown

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will undergo a seven-day rehabilitation programme after his splashdown off the California coast on July 15 as he returns to Earth from an 18-day sojourn at the International Space Station (ISS).

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Shukla and three other astronauts — commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu of Poland and Hungary — had docked at the ISS on June 26 as part of the commercial Axiom-4 mission.

The four astronauts are scheduled to undock from the ISS on Monday, July 14, at 4.35 pm IST (7.05 am ET), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a statement.

According to ISRO, following a series of orbital maneuvers after undocking, the Crew Dragon spacecraft is expected to splash down near the coast of California on July 15, 2025, at 3 pm IST.

"Post splashdown, the Gaganyatri will undergo a rehabilitation program (about 7 days) under supervision of Flight Surgeon to adapt back to Earth's gravity," the ISRO said in an update on the Axiom-4 mission.

ISRO paid approximately Rs 550 crore for Shukla's travel to the ISS - an experience that will help the space agency in planning and execution of its human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, set to take to orbit in 2027.