As the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft prepares for splashdown, excitement and happiness run high in the family of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla – the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission.
Speaking to ANI, his mother, Asha Shukla said. “We are very excited… When we saw the undocking, we knew he was on his way home. We are waiting eagerly for our son. He will reach by evening. We prayed for his well-being, visited the temple, and sought the blessings of Lord Hanuman. We also recited the Sundarkand. We are proud that our son has written his name in history. We will give him a grand welcome.”
His father, Shambu Dayal Shukla, echoed the sentiment, calling it a historic moment not just for their family, but for the entire nation. “We are thrilled that our son is returning from this mission. He has made us immensely proud. This splashdown will go down in history. We are praying for his safe landing. It’s a day of joy for the entire country. He may be our son, but today, he belongs to the nation. We thank everyone for their prayers.”
Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla spent nearly 20 days in space, including approximately 19 days aboard the ISS as part of the Ax-4 mission—marking a significant milestone for India in human spaceflight.
The Dragon spacecraft, named Grace, is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, at around 3 p.m. IST today. According to SpaceX, the crew aboard the Dragon capsule is on track to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, with a brief sonic boom expected to announce their arrival before splashdown.
“Dragon and the Axiom Space Ax-4 crew are on track to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and splash down off the coast of San Diego at ~2:31 a.m. PT tomorrow,” SpaceX posted on X. “Dragon will also announce its arrival with a brief sonic boom prior to splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.”
The crew’s return journey from the ISS to Earth will take approximately 22.5 hours. The Dragon capsule successfully undocked from the space-facing port of the Harmony module at 7:15 a.m. EDT (4:45 p.m. IST) on Monday, completing the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS.
The Ax-4 mission, coordinated by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, marks a historic chapter in space exploration, with Group Captain Shukla’s achievement celebrated across India.
(With inputs from ANI)