Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth after an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), in SpaceX Dragon capsule which splashed down in California on Tuesday. He was seen waving and smiling as he exited the capsule.
Group Captain Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer and test pilot, completed his maiden space voyage as part of the Axiom-4 mission, a commercial spaceflight supported by ISRO and NASA, and operated by Axiom Space.
Shubhanshu Shukla Homecoming LIVE Updates
The journey marked a milestone for India: Shukla is the first Indian to step aboard the ISS and only the second Indian to go into space, following Rakesh Sharma’s iconic flight in 1984.
On board the ISS, Shukla was the pilot on the Axiom-4 mission, alongside commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Together, they not only conducted science experiments but also engaged in outreach to students and space communities across the globe.
Shukla conducted seven India-led microgravity experiments across diverse domains of life sciences, agriculture, space biotechnology, and cognitive research.
Journey to Earth
A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the four-member team parachuted into the sea off the coast of California at around 2:30 a.m. PDT (0930 GMT) following a fiery reentry through Earth’s atmosphere that capped a 22-hour descent from orbit.
The return flight concluded the fourth ISS mission organised by Texas-based startup Axiom Space in collaboration with SpaceX, the private rocket venture of billionaire Elon Musk headquartered near Los Angeles.
The mission finale, return flight was carried live by a joint SpaceX-Axiom webcast.
Two sets of parachutes, visible through the darkness with infrared cameras, were expected to slow the capsule’s final descent to about 15 mph (24 kph) moments before its splashdown off San Diego.
Minutes earlier, the spacecraft had been streaking like a mechanical meteor through Earth’s lower atmosphere, generating enough frictional heat to send temperatures outside the capsule soaring to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,927 degrees Celsius). The astronauts’ flight suits are designed to keep them cool as the cabin heats up.
Shukla’s family celebrates his return with a cake
Shukla’s return was an emotional moment for his family, and they celebrated the occasion by cutting a cake.
The astronaut’s mother, Asha Shukla, expressed immense pride and excitement at her son’s achievements. She acknowledged initial fears but encouraged people to take inspiration.
“Excitement is endless, and we are very proud. We were afraid at first… The upcoming generation should take inspiration and move ahead as well,” Asha Shukla told ANI.
(With inputs from agencies)