Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer and ISRO astronaut, has made a triumphant return to Earth, concluding a groundbreaking mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This 18-day journey, as a part of the Axiom-4 mission, makes him the first Indian to go to the ISS and solely the second Indian in historical past to journey to area after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Shukla’s flight marks a brand new period for India’s human spaceflight ambitions and units the stage for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission in 2027.
Shubhasnhu Shukla, alongside commander Peggy Whitson (USA), and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), splashed down safely off the coast of California at 3:03 PM IST on July 15, 2025, as reported. Recovery groups swiftly retrieved the crew, bringing a profitable shut to India’s first industrial astronaut collaboration with Axiom Space and ISRO.After prolonged publicity to microgravity, Shubhanshu Shukla is now present process a structured 7-day rehabilitation program, supervised by ISRO and Axiom Space flight surgeons. This reconditioning course of is important for regaining steadiness, power, and cardiovascular well being, and consists of musculoskeletal checks and psychological debriefs to guarantee full restoration. Immediate medical checks have been performed on the restoration ship, and steady well being monitoring will observe as Shukla transitions again to each day life.
As BBC reported, the Indian authorities’s funding for Axiom-4 was roughly Rs 550 crore (about $59 million). This coated complete astronaut coaching, launch companies, ISS entry, and protected return logistics. Though substantial, this expense is seen as a strategic funding, offering India invaluable hands-on expertise and paving the approach for the nation’s unbiased crewed missions.
During his ISS keep, Shukla accomplished seven main experiments designed by Indian scientific establishments beneath ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre:
These experiments present very important information for India’s long-duration astronaut missions and broader scientific information for all spacefaring nations.Also Read | NASA warns building-sized asteroid 2022 YS5 set for shut Earth flyby on July 17; right here’s why scientists are on aler