First Indian astronaut to go to ISS is on his way back

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history by becoming the first Indian ever to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), is on his way back.

A live broadcast showed the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission undocking from the orbiting laboratory with its four-member crew on Monday. It is expected to splash down in just under 24 hours.

Led by former Nasa veteran Peggy Whitson and piloted by Group Captain Shukla, Ax-4 had arrived at ISS on 26 June. Its crew included Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

Group Captain Shukla is only the second Indian to have gone to space. His trip came 41 years after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.

Ax-4 – a commercial flight operated by Houston-based private firm Axiom Space – is a collaboration between Nasa, India’s space agency Isro, European Space Agency (Esa) and SpaceX.

On Monday, ISS posted on X that the Ax-4 crew had taken their places in the spacecraft and its hatches had been closed. The undocking of the craft – when it separated from the ISS – was broadcast live.

Axiom Space said the craft would splash down in the ocean off the coast of California and a vessel would then pick it up.

Indian Science Minister Jitendra Singh has said the splash down is scheduled for 15 July at approximately 15:00 India time (09:30 GMT).

In his farewell address from aboard the ISS on Sunday, the Indian astronaut said India’s journey in space exploration may be tough, but it has begun.

“It has been an incredible journey. Even though now it is coming to an end, for you and me there is a long way to go. The journey of our human space mission is very long and difficult. But if we are determined, even the stars are attainable.”

He referred to India’s first man in space cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma famously quoting from a 1924 Urdu song “Sare jahan se achcha” to say “India looked better than the rest of the world”.

“Even today we want to know how it looks from space. I’ll tell you. From space, today’s India looks ambitious. It looks fearless. It looks confident. It looks proud. And so, I can once again say that today’s India still looks better than the rest of the world,” Group Captain Shukla said.

Ax-4, which was originally expected to spend two weeks on the ISS, ended up staying a few days longer. During their stay, Axiom Space said the crew conducted 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

Isro, which had paid 5bn rupees ($59m; £43m) to secure a seat for Group Captain Shukla on Ax-4 and his training, has said the hands-on experience he gains during his trip to the ISS will help India in its human space flights.

Isro has announced plans to launch Gaganyaan – the country’s first-ever human space flight in 2027 – and has ambitious plans to set up a space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.

Group Captain Shukla is among four Indian air force officers shortlisted last year to travel on Gaganyaan.

Born on 10 October 1985 in the northern city of Lucknow, Group Captain Shukla joined the air force as a fighter pilot in 2006.

He has flown MiGs, Sukhois, Dorniers, Jaguars and Hawks and has more than 2,000 hours of flying experience.

Before flying into space, Group Captain Shukla described the past year as “nothing short of transformative”.

“It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come,” he said. “As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts. I request all Indians to pray for the success of our mission,” he had said.