Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS), is scheduled to return to Earth on July 14 along with the Ax-4 crew. They are set to undock from the ISS around 4:35 PM IST, with a splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at approximately 3 PM IST on July 15. The return journey aboard the Dragon spacecraft will last about 22 hours, completing their nearly 18-day mission on the ISS. The Ax-4 crew comprises Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from ISRO, Slawosz ‘Suave’ Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland representing the European Space Agency (ESA), and HUNOR astronaut Tibor Kapu. During their stay, the team conducted multiple scientific experiments and outreach activities. A live farewell ceremony with NASA’s Expedition 73 crew is scheduled for 08:55 AM CT (7:25 PM IST) on July 14. The Dragon spacecraft will return with over 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments. On ‘flight day 18’, Kapu worked on the Fruit Fly DNA Repair study and the VITAPRIC project. Group Captain Shukla and his team tested Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) in microgravity. Other studies included Voyager Displays, ENPERCHAR, Neuromotion VR, and Suit Fabric Study. The crew also worked on AstroMentalHealth and EEG Neurofeedback projects. The Axiom Mission 4 launched on June 25 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida and docked with the ISS on June 26.
