After completing an eventful stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and his fellow Axiom-4 crew members are gearing up to conclude their mission and return home on July 14.
Providing an update on the mission’s timeline, Steve Stitch, Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said the agency is closely tracking the team’s activities aboard the International Space Station (ISS). “We are working with the station program, watching the Axiom-4 progress carefully. The current target to undock is July 14,” Stitch stated during a press briefing.
The Axiom-4 mission, a collaboration between NASA and private company Axiom Space, launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on June 25. After a 28-hour flight, the crew’s Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS on June 26.
Joining Shukla on this trailblazing commercial spaceflight are veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, European engineer Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungarian biophysicist Tibor Kapu. Together, the crew has experienced 230 breathtaking sunrises from orbit and traveled nearly 1 million kilometers during their mission.
While aboard the ISS, the astronauts have been immersed in a packed schedule of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, ranging from biological research to materials science. Their work also included outreach efforts aimed at inspiring the next generation of scientists and space explorers worldwide, according to Axiom Space.
Shukla’s participation marks a significant milestone for India’s growing footprint in space exploration, as he becomes one of the few Indians to have journeyed to the ISS on a private mission. If all goes according to plan, the Ax-4 crew will undock from the space station and begin their journey home on July 14, concluding a landmark mission in commercial human spaceflight.
