Axiom-4 splash down on July 15 at 3 pm: Jitendra Singh on Shubhanshu Shukla’s return

New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday shared an update on the Axiom-4 International Space Station (ISS) Mission and said that the astronauts are expected to splash down on Earth on July 15 at 3:00 p.m. (Indian time).

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, currently on board the ISS, along with three other crew members — Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Tibor Kapu — will undock inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the Harmony module’s space-facing port for a return to Earth.

Taking to X, Jitendra Singh said, “As of now, undocking has been scheduled for tomorrow, 14th July at 4:30 PM IST. Arrival back to earth…. splash down scheduled for 15th July at 3:00 PM IST.”

“These timings have a margin window of approximately 1 hour. Further update, if any, shall be shared accordingly,” he added.

A splashdown is expected several hours after the undocking, near the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean.

IAF Group Captain Shukla is on a 14-day mission to the ISS. He became the first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian astronaut after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who went to space in 1984.

On the orbital post, Shukla carried out seven India-specific experiments, taking a major step in advancing India’s Gaganyaan human space flight mission.

These included experiments to decode muscle loss, developing a brain-computer interface, and sprouting green gram and fenugreek seeds in space, among others.

The four astronauts completed experiments that included the Indian strain of Tardigrades, focusing on survival, revival, reproduction, and transcriptome: Myogenesis, which studied the impact of the space environment on human muscle cells; sprouting of methi and moong seeds, with relevance to crew nutrition; and the Cyanobacteria experiment, which studied the growth of two varieties with relevance to life support systems.

The experiments represent a significant leap in space science and technology, contributing critical knowledge to support Gaganyaan, Bhartiya Antariksha Station, and future planetary missions.

After landing, Shukla, along with other crew members, will undergo a rehabilitation programme (about seven days) under the supervision of the Flight Surgeons to adapt back to Earth’s gravity.

IANS