Shubhanshu Shukla to undock from ISS: When will he be back on Earth?

After an 18-day stint aboard the International Space Station, Shubhanshu Shukla will undock today at 4:30 pm

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, along with Commander Peggy Whitson, Slawosz 'Suave' Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Tibor Kapu, is set to return to Earth after spending nearly 18 days in space as part of the Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4).

 

According to a Nasa release, departure preparations will begin with hatch closure at 2:00 pm IST on Monday. The crew will enter the spacecraft by 2:25 pm IST, followed by hatch closure. Undocking procedures are scheduled to begin around 4:15 pm IST, with actual undocking expected at 4:30 pm IST.

When will Shubhanshu Shukla return?

Following undocking, the crew’s return journey is expected to take nearly 22 hours. Union minister Jitendra Singh posted on X that the splashdown is scheduled for July 15 at 3:00 pm IST, with a margin of about one hour. 

 

The splashdown is expected off the coast of California. This water-landing method, using parachutes, has long been the primary recovery technique for US space capsules.

Nasa, Axiom to stream departure

Nasa announced it will provide live coverage of the Axiom-4 mission’s undocking on Nasa+. Coverage will conclude approximately 30 minutes after undocking. Axiom Space will resume coverage of Dragon’s re-entry and splashdown on its website.

Shubhanshu Shukla’s time in orbit

During his 18-day stay aboard the ISS, Shukla conducted scientific research and outreach activities. According to Axiom Space, he centrifuged and froze microalgae samples, which are being studied for their potential to support life beyond Earth.

 

He also participated in microgravity farming, planting moong and methi seeds in space. This activity, part of an experiment to study germination and plant growth in space conditions, reported PTI.

‘Today’s India looks ambitious from space’

At a farewell ceremony aboard the ISS on Sunday, Group Captain Shukla delivered a speech reflecting on his mission. Paying tribute to Rakesh Sharma, India’s first astronaut, Shukla offered a modern take on Sharma’s iconic phrase. 

 

"Aaj ka bharat space se mahatvakaanshi dikhta hai, nidar dikhta hai, confident dikhta hai, aaj ka Bharat garv se poorn dikhta hai (Today's India looks ambitious from space. It looks fearless, confident, and full of pride)," Shukla said, reported news agency PTI.  

 

"Inhi sab kaarano ki vajah se aaj mai fir se keh sakta hoon ki aaj ka bharat abhi bhi saare jahaan se acha dikhta hai (It's because of these reasons, I can say that today's India is still more splendid than the entire world)," he added.

 

Shukla also expressed gratitude to Isro, Nasa, international partners, Axiom Space, and SpaceX for enabling the journey.

 

According to Nasa, the Dragon spacecraft will return with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including Nasa hardware and data from over 60 experiments. Axiom-4 launched on June 25 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre and docked with the ISS on June 26.