Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the rest of the AXIOM-4 (AX-4) crew safely landed back on Earth after spending 18 days in space. Their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft touched down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego at 3:02 p.m. IST on Tuesday, July 15. This marks a proud moment for India, as Shukla became the first Indian Air Force officer to fly to space under a private space mission.
• 20 days, 3 hours in space
• 322 orbits completed
• 1,39,10,400 kilometres travelled
• 1st ever Indian on ISSWelcome back to Earth Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla 🌏🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/8nPH0tLjl8
— ISRO Spaceflight (@ISROSpaceflight) July 15, 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed him back, calling his journey a symbol of India’s growing space dreams.
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…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 15, 2025
AX-4 Crew Touches Down
Shubhanshu Shukla served as a pilot of the AX-4 mission, which launched on June 25 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The Dragon spacecraft, named ‘Grace’, left the International Space Station on July 14. After a 22.5-hour journey, it safely landed back on Earth. His mother, Asha Shukla, became emotional while watching the live splashdown, proud of her son’s historic space journey. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was joined by Commander Peggy Whitson from the U.S., and mission specialists from Poland and Hungary. Their spacecraft touched down in the Pacific Ocean safely. Once they landed, they underwent regular health checkups and started their recovery process.
#WATCH | Axiom-4 Mission | Lucknow, UP: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s family rejoices and celebrates as he, along with the crew, is assisted out of the Dragon Spacecraft onto the recovery vehicle, after their return to the earth from the International Space Station 18 days… pic.twitter.com/eGW5yggrDn
— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2025
