New Delhi, July 16, 2025 — Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer, has returned safely to Earth after completing a landmark 20-day space mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). He becomes the first Indian to visit the ISS and only the second Indian in space since Rakesh Sharma in 1984 — marking a major leap in India’s space ambitions.
The mission was part of Axiom Space’s Axiom-4 private astronaut program. The SpaceX Crew Dragon “Grace” capsule, carrying Shukla along with astronauts from Poland and Hungary, successfully splashed down off the coast of California after conducting over 60 scientific experiments during an 18-day stay aboard the ISS.
Over the course of the mission, Shukla completed 288 orbits and traveled approximately 12.2 million kilometers, gaining crucial experience for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
Upon return, the crew was taken to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for health checks and debriefings. Shukla’s mission was celebrated across India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extending their congratulations.
The success of the Axiom-4 mission strengthens India’s credentials in the global space ecosystem and provides a practical roadmap for future astronaut training, mission preparedness, and long-duration human spaceflight.
Shukla’s journey — from IAF to ISS — stands as a defining moment for India’s space narrative, and a powerful symbol of what’s possible when aerospace ambition meets international collaboration.
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