Shubhanshu Shukla Returns Safely To Earth After Historic ISS Mission; PM Modi Hails Him For Inspiring ‘A Billion Dreams’

Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla returned safely to Earth on Tuesday, marking the successful conclusion of a groundbreaking mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the first by an Indian national.

Shukla was part of the four-member Axiom-4 crew aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule Grace, which splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at approximately 3:01 pm IST. The capsule’s safe landing followed a fiery reentry and a 22-hour return journey from orbit.

“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, AstroPeggy, Shux, astro_slawosz, and Tibi!” SpaceX posted on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Shukla’s mission as a historic milestone.

“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,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot, flew alongside veteran U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. They boarded Grace at 3:30 a.m. CT (2:00 pm IST) on Monday, undocking from the ISS to begin their return to Earth.

The mission marked several historic firsts, not only for Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight, but also for Poland and Hungary, which sent their first astronauts to the International Space Station.

India’s space agency ISRO celebrated the success, calling it a “milestone” for the country’s space ambitions. Shukla’s mission is seen as a stepping stone toward the launch of India’s first crewed spaceflight, Gaganyaan, targeted for 2027.

During his over two-week stay aboard the ISS, Shukla completed more than 310 orbits of Earth, covering an estimated 13 million kilometers, or roughly 33 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. The crew witnessed over 300 sunrises and sunsets from orbit.

ISRO said that Shukla completed all seven planned microgravity experiments, achieving all mission objectives. “Experiments on Indian strain of tardigrades, myogenesis, sprouting of methi and moong seeds, cyanobacteria, microalgae, crop seeds, and the Voyager display have been successfully completed,” ISRO said in a statement.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh also hailed the safe return of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as a “moment of pride for the world, a moment of glory” for India, stating that the country had secured its rightful place in the global space ecosystem.

“One of Mother India’s illustrious sons is back. India has found a lasting space in the world of space,” he said while addressing scientists, media personnel, and senior officials after watching the live splashdown.

Dr. Singh said the mission demonstrated India’s growing stature in global space exploration.
“These are experiments that have never been done before. This marks a new era for India’s scientific and technological ambitions,” he noted, adding that the mission’s success would have long-term implications for humankind.

Giving details about the next steps, Dr. Singh informed that all four astronauts will remain in quarantine until July 23 to complete medical and re-adaptation procedures. “From the 24th, they will begin discussions with ISRO. Debriefings with Axiom and NASA will follow,” he added.

The mission’s capsule Grace, the fifth in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon fleet, was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25. The Axiom-4 team reached the ISS the next day and were greeted by the station’s rotating crew, which included three U.S. astronauts, one Japanese crewmember, and three Russian cosmonauts.

Axiom-4 marks the 18th human spaceflight by SpaceX since it began crewed missions in 2020, signaling a new chapter in U.S. spaceflight following the retirement of the space shuttle program.