Shubhanshu Shukla, Axiom-4 returns to Earth after 18-day stay at ISS

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three crewmates returned safely to Earth in the Dragon ‘Grace’ capsule after an 18-day ISS stay. They splashed down near San Diego, ending a 22.5-hour journey and beginning recovery after weightlessness in space

New Delhi: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others of the commercial Axiom-4 mission made a fiery return to Earth as the Dragon ‘Grace’ spacecraft made a splashdown off San Diego coast in southern California on Tuesday, capping a 22.5-hour journey after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station.

The spacecraft carrying Shukla, commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, undocked from the space station at 4:45 pm IST on Monday.

“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, @AstroPeggy, Shux, @astro_slawosz, and Tibi,” SpaceX said in a post on X. SpaceX boats of SpaceX, the transporter for the mission, were seen moving towards the spacecraft to bring it to recovery ship Shannon, where the astronauts will be brought out from the capsule.

The Axiom-4 crew will undergo a series of medical checks on board the ship before boarding a helicopter for a ride back to the shore. The four astronauts are expected to spend seven days in rehabilitation as they adjust back to life on Earth under the influence of gravity, unlike the weightlessness experienced in orbit.