Shukla returns, Prez hails it as a 'milestone for India'

SpaceX's Dragon Grace spacecraft splashed down in the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the US at the end of a 22.5 hour journey from the International Space Station (ISS).

- Snehal Fernandes

Inside were Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, only the second Indian to go to space, and the Indian to have spent most time there, and three of his Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission crew mates.

Shortly after Shukla, who was all smiles, was assisted out of the capsule onto the recovery vessel, Prime Minister Narenda Modi on X said, “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.”

As per protocol, the crew underwent the first medical examination in SpaceX's recovery vessels. They will undergo about a week's rehabilitation programme under the supervision of flight surgeons to enable them to adapt back to Earth's gravity. After 20 days in space of which 18 days were spent living and working in the lower orbiting laboratory, the Ax-4 crew took in their first breath of fresh air.

On June 25, Falcon 9 rocket lifted off the spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. It reached ISS on June 26 after a 28-hour journey. Shukla became the second Indian astronaut in space since 1984, and the first in the country on ISS. Alongside Shukla, the Ax-4 mission marked the return to human spaceflight programme for India, Poland and Hungary in over four decades.