Riding the fire trail: Axiom mission 4 re-entry, explained

The Dragon spacecraft is set to make a soft splashdown in the Pacific Ocean either on July 9 or July 10, carrying the Ax-4 crew, including Shubhanshu Shukla of India, back to Earth from the International Space Station

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The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), launched on June 25 2025 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is now entering its final stage—a safe return to Earth.

This private spaceflight, led by Axiom Space with support from SpaceX and NASA, included four astronauts: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Peggy Whitson from the USA, Sławosz Uznański from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. For India, Poland, and Hungary, this was their first human mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and their return to human spaceflight after over four decades.

Once the 14-day mission is over, the team will return to Earth. Experts point out that their return to Earth will take nearly 17 hours from the time they undock from the ISS to when they splash down in the Pacific Ocean. This long duration is crucial to ensure the spacecraft lands in a safe zone and follows all necessary safety protocols.