Shubhanshu Shukla is back home: Axiom-4 crew aboard Dragon spacecraft splash down off California coast, watch video

Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his Axiom-4 (Ax-4) crewmates have safely returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Tuesday (July 15) after a historic 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

#WATCH | In a historic moment, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew aboard Dragon spacecraft splashes down in the Pacific Ocean after an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

(Video Source: Axiom Space/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/qLAq2tyW5S

— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2025

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying Shukla and the multinational Ax-4 crew, undocked from the ISS at 4:45 pm IST on Monday and completed a carefully orchestrated 22-hour journey home.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Shukla upon his safe return, saying he has inspired “a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit”.

“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 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,” Modi wrote on X.

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 International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 15, 2025

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At Shukla’s family home in India, the air was filled with cheers, prayers, and joyful tears as relatives, neighbours, and supporters came together to celebrate the return of India’s newest space hero.

“Today is a very joyous day for us. We are praying to God for his safe landing. It is a matter of great happiness that he is returning after successfully completing his mission. It is a moment of immense pride for us and for the country that he has completed such a significant mission,” Shukla’s father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Suchi, Shubhanshu Shukla’s sister, shared that her brother brought Indian sweets like gajar ka halwa and moong dal ka halwa to the International Space Station, knowing how much he loves them. She said he was eager for his fellow astronauts to try them too. “From whatever we know through videos and posts, they all liked it so much,” she said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Shukla’s successful return from the historic Axiom-4 mission is a proud moment for every Indian.

“Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s successful return from the historic Axiom-4 mission is a proud moment for every Indian. He has not just touched space, he has lifted India’s aspirations to new heights. His journey to the International Space Station and back is not just a personal milestone, it is a proud stride for India’s growing space ambitions. Wishing him great success in his future endeavours,” the Defence Minister wrote in a post on X.

The capsule orbited Earth multiple times, aligning for a precise deorbit burn that guided it to the designated splashdown zone.

The crew endured the crucial re-entry phase, widely considered the most dangerous part of spaceflight.

Plunging through Earth’s atmosphere at speeds exceeding 27,000 km/h, the Dragon capsule’s heat shield withstood temperatures up to 1,600°C.

For several tense minutes, a communications blackout gripped Mission Control and families until the spacecraft emerged safely from its fiery descent, confirming a successful landing.

What next?

Now, the crew will be taken to the Johnson Space Centre, Houston, for medical evaluation. After adjusting to microgravity in space, the astronauts will now have to readjust to gravity on Earth.

Shukla and others will be screened on several health parameters. Based on these, they will get a personalised reconditioning plan to improve their mobility, balance, strength, flexibility, aerobic conditioning, and endurance, as per an Indian Express report.

Shukla’s mission

While aboard the ISS, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla played a key role in over 60 scientific experiments, including groundbreaking work in plant biology, materials science, and artificial intelligence.

His contributions to the Sprouts Project, studying plant growth in microgravity, are set to benefit both future space missions and scientific advancements on Earth.

The experiments that Shukla and his fellow astronauts —Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary— conducted were intended to understand the effect of space’s microgravity on humans and other living organisms. The idea was to understand how space interacts with life.

Shukla’s safe return is a moment of pride for India, highlighting the country’s expanding presence in global space exploration.