Ax-4 Astronauts to Return from ISS with 580 Pounds of Science Cargo

NASA’s SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is pictured approaching the International Space Station in June 2025, carrying the Ax-4 crew. Mission managers have given the “go” to undock this personal astronaut mission (Axiom Mission 4) on Monday, July 14 at 7:05 a.m. EDT. The four-person crew, led by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, has spent about two and a half weeks aboard the orbiting lab conducting science. Whitson’s crewmates are Shubhanshu Shukla (India), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), the primary astronauts from their nations to go to the ISS. Together they carried out dozens of experiments in microgravity earlier than packing up for the trip residence.

Completing the Research Mission

According to NASA, the Ax-4 crew stored a busy schedule of science actions of their final days on station. On Friday they collected blood samples for later medical evaluation and grew microalgae as a possible meals supply and life-support organism in house. They additionally studied particular nanomaterials that would change into wearable well being displays.

On Saturday the crew labored on human well being investigations: testing electrical muscle stimulation, making an attempt new train go well with materials for thermal consolation, and filming their day by day routines for a behavioural well being examine. By Sunday they started stowing analysis gear and packing science samples and private cargo inside Dragon for return to Earth.

Preparing for the Return Journey

Expedition 73 station crew members pitched in to assist finalize the departure. NASA astronaut Anne McClain helped collect {hardware} and provides for packing Dragon and assisted with Ax-4’s ongoing experiments. Colleagues Nichole Ayers and Jonny Kim spun the astronauts’ blood samples in a centrifuge and stowed them within the science freezer, then transferred water into the spacesuits throughout pre‐return checks. Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi processed saliva samples and carried out routine upkeep, and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy ran a remaining health check on the station’s train bike.

The SpaceX Dragon will carry the crew and roughly 580 kilos of cargo – together with {hardware} and information from over 60 experiments – again to Earth. Upon undocking on Monday, Dragon will ultimately splash down off the California coast, returning the Ax-4 crew and their analysis samples after this historic worldwide mission.