Axiom-4 astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla set to return on July 14

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, along with the rest of the Axiom-4 crew, will return to Earth on July 14 after completing a two-week research-intensive mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA announced on Thursday.

Steve Stich, Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, confirmed the target date for the crew’s undocking while briefing media on the upcoming Crew-11 mission scheduled for July 31. "We are working with the station program, watching the Axiom-4 progress carefully. I think we need to undock that mission and the current target to undock is July 14 after the high beta period," he said.

The Axiom-4 mission launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25 and successfully docked at the ISS on June 26 after a 28-hour flight aboard the Dragon spacecraft.

During their time in space, the crew completed nearly 230 orbits around Earth, covering over 96.5 lakh kilometers.

The “high beta period” refers to a phase when the ISS’s orbital plane forms a large angle - above 70 degrees - with the sun, resulting in nearly continuous sunlight. This puts significant thermal stress on the station, requiring precise management of its onboard systems.

Axiom-4's four-member crew included Shukla, veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Tibor Kapu.

Together, they conducted more than 60 experiments in diverse fields including biomedical science, neuroscience, advanced materials, agriculture, and space technology - marking the most research ever done during an Axiom private astronaut mission.

Shukla, in particular, focused on studying muscle loss in microgravity. He also engaged in public outreach during his stay - interacting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, connecting live with students, and communicating with ISRO scientists through HAM radio.

“From about 250 miles above the Earth, the crew spent their downtime capturing images and video, taking in the view of our home planet below, and reconnecting with loved ones,” Axiom Space noted in a statement.

The IN-SPACe Chairman highlighted that Shukla’s learnings aboard the ISS will lay the groundwork for future Indian space endeavors. The Ax-4 mission’s extensive research portfolio could potentially lead to advancements in diabetes care, cancer therapies, and human health monitoring in space.

As the Ax-4 mission concludes, Axiom Space reaffirmed its commitment to commercial space exploration, stating: “Every test tube, data point, and observation brings us one step closer to a global community living and working in low-Earth orbit and, eventually, beyond.”