The Axiom-4, a commercial human spaceflight mission involving Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX, has scripted history in more ways than one. Not only has it been a historic moment for India, Poland, and Hungary, which have sent astronauts to space for the first time in nearly half a century, it has had symbolic significance for Europe and Asia. Read here

Born and raised in Lucknow, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla completed his schooling at the City Montessori School's Aliganj campus. 

A turning point in his life came during the 1999 Kargil War, which deeply inspired him to serve the nation. Motivated by this, he cleared the National Defence Academy (NDA) entrance exam to pursue his dream.

Shukla was selected for India's Gaganyaan mission in 2019, which brought him into the astronaut training programme. He underwent training at the prestigious Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia, completing the course in 2021. Read here

After the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully undocked from the International Space Station, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said the "entire nation eagerly awaits your (Shubhashu Shukla) return" as Group Captain Shukla and the rest of the Axiom-4 crew return to Earth after an 18-day stay at the ISS. 

"Welcome back Shubhanshu! The entire nation eagerly awaits your arrival back home...as you begin your return journey, after successful undocking of #Axiom4," Union Minister Singh said in a post on X.

The Dragon is expected to splash down on Tuesday at 3:01 pm IST off the California coast. 

Shubhanshu Shukla's three-week-long mission aboard the International Space Station marks a significant milestone in India's space journey. But what exactly happens to the human body in space, and how does microgravity affect our physiology and psychology?

"In microgravity, the gravitational force that influences our physiological systems is absent," medical physiologist Dr W Selvamurthy explains.

"The first system to be affected is the cardiovascular system. On Earth, gravity helps regulate blood flow. In space, without that force, blood rushes toward the head, leading to fluid redistribution and pressure changes in the brain," he said. Read here

Shubhanshu Shukla showcased a zero-gravity experiment aboard the ISS, explaining how microgravity impacts everyday physics. 

The experiment, part of Axiom Space's outreach and scientific mission, highlighted the unique behaviour of water in space.

Using surface tension to their advantage, Shukla formed a floating water bubble. "I've become a water bender here in the station," he joked.

The crew members also spoke about the opportunity not just to engage in science but also to communicate the wonder and beauty of Earth from space.

India looks full of ambition, fearless, confident and full of pride from space, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla said on Sunday.
"Even today, Bharat looks 'saare jahan se accha' from above," Shukla said reprising the iconic words of India's first astronaut Rakesh Sharma in 1984.
"It almost seems magical to me... It has been a fantastic journey for me," Shubhanshu Shukla said of his stay at the ISS which began on June 26. Read here

After exiting the approach ellipsoid, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is now on a 22.5-hour journey to earth with splashdown off California coast on Tuesday at 3:01 pm IST.

Final preparations before splashdown include detaching the capsule's trunk and orienting the heat shield ahead of atmospheric entry, which will expose the spacecraft to temperatures nearing 1,600 degrees Celsius. After that, parachutes will be deployed in two stages - first stabilising chutes at about 5.7 km altitude, followed by the main parachutes at roughly 2 km altitude. 

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a decorated officer of the Indian Air Force, not only became the second Indian after Wing Commander (Later Group Captain) Rakesh Sharma to go to space since 1984, he is also the first Indian to go to the International Space Station.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft has exited the approach ellipsoid of the International Space Station (ISS), a 4 km by 2 km three dimensional safety zone around the space station.

After the undocking, the Dragon spacecraft is now executing a series of departure burns to move away from the International Space Station. 

Departure burns are controlled rocket firings used to maneuver a spacecraft away from another object after undocking, such as a space station, in order to avoid any potential collision. 

Splashdown is expected off the coast of California approximately 22.5 hours after undocking, and the space capsule will be recovered by a specialised ship.  

The SpaceX Dragon Grace spacecraft, with India's Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts on the Axiom-4 Mission, has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS).

Undocking of SpaceX Dragon capsule from International Space Station begins, splash down will take place near California tomorrow

The images show members of both Axiom Mission 4 and Expedition 73 smiling and posing in their flight suits.

In the photos, eight astronauts representing the United States, India, Japan, Hungary, and Poland, are seen standing shoulder to shoulder, and posing for the camera.

As IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, along with his crew from Axiom-4 mission, is set to undock from International Space Station (ISS), his family in Lucknow is "excited" to welcome him back home.

Indian astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is inside the space capsule that will bring him back to Earth after spending nearly three weeks in space. The hatch has closed, and the astronauts now wait to undock from the space station and begin their journey home. 

India's cosmic leap's phase one is ending with the Axiom-4 mission, which is also referred to as Mission Akash Ganga, but this was the easy part.