‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’: Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Bids Farewell to ISS, Set to Return on July 14
After completing two weeks of intensive experiments aboard the International Space Station, IAF Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to begin his return journey to Earth along with three other astronauts from the Axiom-4 mission on July 14. Speaking during a formal farewell ceremony at the ISS, Shukla echoed Rakesh Sharma’s iconic words, saying India still looks “saare jahan se accha” from space, adding that today’s India appears “fearless, confident, and full of pride.”
Shukla expressed gratitude to India, ISRO, NASA, and citizens for their support, calling the journey “incredible” and “magical.” He thanked his colleagues, Commander Peggy Whitson, Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, for making the mission successful and collaborative, noting that he would carry memories and learning from Axiom-4 back home.
The four-member Axiom-4 crew is scheduled to undock from the space-facing port of the ISS’s Harmony module aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft around 7:05 a.m. EDT (4:35 p.m. IST) on July 14, pending weather conditions. Splashdown off the coast of California is planned for July 15 at 3:00 p.m. IST, according to Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh.
NASA’s Steve Stitch confirmed preparations for the crew’s return, stating, “We are working with the station program, overseeing the Axiom-4 progress, and the current target to undock is July 14.”
The Axiom-4 mission, which launched from Kennedy Space Center on June 25 and docked at the ISS on June 26, has conducted over 60 experiments in biomedical science, advanced materials, neuroscience, agriculture, and space technology, making it the most research-intensive private astronaut mission by Axiom Space to date.
ISRO stated that following splashdown, Shukla will undergo a week-long rehabilitation program under a flight surgeon’s supervision to help him readjust to Earth’s gravity. The agency invested approximately Rs 550 crore for Shukla’s mission, with the experience set to aid India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, scheduled for 2027.
