Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Axiom-4 Crew Likely To Return To Earth On July 14: NASA

Last Updated:July 10, 2025, 23:39 IST

Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and Axiom-4 crew to return from ISS on July 14 after completing a 14-day mission with significant research and experiments.

India's decision to send Shubhanshu Shukla on the Axiom-4 mission marked a significant stride in its growing involvement in human spaceflight

Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other crew members of the Axiom-4 mission are set to return to earth from the Space Station (ISS) on July 14, NASA said on Thursday.

“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," Steve Stitch, Manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program, told a press conference as quoted by news agency PTI.

The Axiom-4 crew, comprising IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, have completed their 14-day stay at the ISS on Thursday.

As reported earlier, the Axiom-4 crew was expected to return to Earth this week, any day after July 10 – unless extended.

Earlier today, the Axiom Space shared an update that the crew members have completed close to 230 orbits around Earth and travelled more than six million miles (96.5 lakh kms). Launched on June 25 by SpaceX, the crew entered the space station on June 26.

“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," the Axiom said in a statement.

The Axiom-4 mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre at Florida on June 25 and the Dragon spacecraft docked at the Space Station on June 26 after a 28-hour journey.

With over 60 experiments across biomedical science, advanced materials, neuroscience, agriculture, and space technology, the Ax-4 mission includes the most research conducted on an Axiom Space private astronaut mission to date.

These investigations could transform the future of human space exploration and life on Earth, with potential breakthroughs in areas such as diabetes management, innovative cancer treatments, and enhanced monitoring of human health and performance.

The Axiom-4 mission blasted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 25, and the Dragon spacecraft docked at the space station the next day after a 28-hour journey. It is the fourth private astronaut expedition to the Space Station.

The mission is led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, now with Axiom Space, serving as commander. The international crew includes Slawosz Uznanski from Poland (European Space Agency) and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both serving as mission specialists. Group Captain Shukla joins them as the mission’s pilot — a role of high responsibility and precision.

(With inputs from PTI)

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