History made: Shubhanshu Shukla, first Indian on ISS, back on earth

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shubhanshu Shukla has returned to Earth, giving new wings to India’s space aspirations. After spending 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), he safely arrived back yesterday. The Crew Dragon capsule, carrying Shubhanshu and three other astronauts, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near California at 3:01 PM (IST).

With this mission, Shubhanshu made history as the first Indian to visit the International Space Station, marking a proud moment for Indians across the globe who watched the live images of his return with admiration.

Once the capsule was retrieved from the ocean and transferred onto a recovery ship, the hatch was opened, and Shubhanshu emerged with a smile, waving to the world.

The crew was then flown by helicopter to NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, where they will undergo post-space treatment and medical evaluations. Fellow astronauts Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) were part of the same mission.

Shubhanshu will return to India after completing physical rehabilitation to adapt to Earth's atmosphere. A medical team from ISRO is already in the U.S. to assist in his recovery.

He is the first Indian to undertake a space journey since Rakesh Sharma, and now holds the record for spending the longest time in space by an Indian.

He arrived at the ISS on June 26 as part of the Axiom-4 mission, a key preparatory step for India’s human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan. The Indian government reportedly paid Rs 550 crore to Axiom Space for this mission.

Originally scheduled to stay 14 days, the mission was extended to 18 days. Shubhanshu completed over 60 experiments, including trials with six types of seeds brought from Kerala. The capsule also returned to Earth with 236 kg of cargo, including scientific samples.

“I join the nation in welcoming Shubhanshu Shukla. This marks another important milestone in India’s journey toward its own human spaceflight mission— Gaganyaan.”

-Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Timeline of the 22.5-hour return journey: July 14, 4:45 PM: Undocking from the ISS aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. July 15, 2:26 PM: Initiation of de-orbit burn using reverse thrust; 7 minutes of communication blackout. 2:30 PM: Re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. 2:45 PM: First-stage parachutes deployed at 5.7 km altitude. 2:57 PM: Second-stage parachutes deployed at 2 km altitude. 3:01 PM: Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California. 3:10 PM: SpaceX recovery boats retrieved the capsule and transferred it to the ship. 3:53 PM: Hatch opened, and a smiling Shubhanshu emerged to greet the world.