Nearly an hour after splashing down off the coast of California on Tuesday afternoon, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla slid out of the Space Dragon called Grace on to a waiting recovery ship. The spacecraft was recovered by a vessel, where the crew members underwent the first medical checks after returning to Earth.
The four crew members of the Axiom-4 mission — commander Peggy Whitson from the US, Pilot Shukla, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary — spent around 20 days in the microgravity environment of space making their first steps in the presence of gravity a little wobbly.
“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,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The spacecraft carrying the Axiom-4 crew separated from the International Space Station — the only orbiting laboratory — Monday evening at around 4:45 pm. After releasing the hard capture hooks, the spacecraft used a series of engine burns to reach Earth over 22.5 hours — departure burns to move away from the ISS, phasing burns to lower the orbit and bring the spacecraft to the required position for entering the Earth’s atmosphere, and then a de-orbit burn pushing the spacecraft into the Earth.
The de-orbiting burn, lasting around 18 minutes, took place on Tuesday afternoon. At the end of the burn, the spacecraft let go of the trunk — the service module that carries several support systems. After that, the nose cone of the spacecraft closed in preparation for the extremely hot re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. Then, two sets of two parachutes each opened up to slow the descent of the spacecraft from 350 miles an hour to around 15 or 16 miles an hour required for the splashdown.
The splashdown happened before dawn off the coast of California, where there was a lot of fog but the waters were calm.
President Draupadi Murmu said: “A hearty welcome to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he comes back on Earth after his space journey. His role in piloting of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station has created a new milestone for India’s space exploration as well as for international collaboration in science and technology. My congratulations to everyone involved in this mission.”
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The successful completion of the mission marks an important step in India’s human spaceflight journey as well. Not only did the Axiom-4 mission carry the second Indian to space 41 years after Rakesh Sharma, it carried the first of the country’s own astronaut corps trained for the Gaganyaan mission. The first crewed flight with the country’s indigenously developed mission is likely in 2027. Meanwhile, on the ISS, Shukla carried out the seven microgravity experiments that India had sent as well as participated in several others. In total, the Axiom-4 crew undertook 60 experiments representing 31 countries.
“Bharat today finds an enduring space in the world of Space!” said union space and science minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
