(Image source from: x.com/DDNewslive)
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is India's space traveler, has made it back to our planet. The SpaceX spacecraft called Grace, carrying Group Captain Shukla and others, splashed down in the ocean near San Diego, off the California coast, just after 3 pm Indian time. Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot, is only the second Indian person to journey into space, after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's mission in 1984. He is the first Indian to visit the International Space Station, a very big space laboratory worth $150 billion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Shukla a warm welcome, saying he has "inspired many dreams.""I join the country in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla upon his return from his amazing space trip. As the first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station, he has inspired lots of dreams with his dedication, bravery, and pioneering spirit. This accomplishment is another move toward our Human Space Flight Mission, Gaganyaan,” the Prime Minister posted on X.
I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India’s first astronaut to have visited International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 15, 2025
Axiom Space, the private company that set up this trip for NASA and ISRO, costing India almost $70 million, had said earlier that "after about 433 hours, 18 days, and 288 orbits around Earth, traveling nearly 12.2 million kilometers since connecting with the International Space Station, the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) team is now returning home." The trip back for the spacecraft took about 22.5 hours. Along with Group Captain Shukla, the team included American astronaut Commander Peggy Whitson and Mission Specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Axiom Space believes that Ax-4 was not only a huge scientific achievement but also a landmark event for India, Poland, and Hungary. For the first time in over 40 years, these countries sent their own astronauts into space, and they all lived and worked on the International Space Station. This mission began a new era in space research for these countries, creating a base for future trips and encouraging more involvement in the global space community.
20 days, 3 hours in space
— ISRO Spaceflight (@ISROSpaceflight) July 15, 2025
322 orbits completed
1,39,10,400 kilometres travelled
1st ever Indian on ISS
Welcome back to Earth Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla pic.twitter.com/8nPH0tLjl8
The crew is back with important science information and examples of working together, determination, and a mission that united people from all over the world. This mission also improves India's standing in the global space community. Sharma spent a little over a week in space on the Soviet space station Salyut-7. Now, Shukla has become the first Indian to visit the ISS, staying almost three weeks in space. During his time on the ISS, Shukla did seven microgravity experiments just for India, showing the country's growing skills in space science and technology. These experiments aim to produce key information for future missions to other planets and long-term living in space. Group Captain Shukla will now go through a medical recovery process for about a week to help him get used to gravity again.
