Key Points

Shukla successfully piloted his Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members back to Earth as the Space X Dragon spacecraft named 'Grace' splashed down off the coast of San Diego at 3.01 p.m. IST (2:31 a.m. P.T). The crew had commenced their Earthward journey after completing their mission to the ISS after 18 days, leaving the orbiting laboratory on Tuesday (July 14, 2025).

Group Captain Shukla became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS). His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, said that he is happy to see his son represent the nation.

Shukla is soon set to be a 'Gaganaut,' being one of the astronauts chosen for India's human space flight mission Gaganyaan.

"We are feeling great, that my son landed properly. He also came out of the dragon, this is a really good thing. Not only us, but for the whole country , he went on behalf of the country. Prime Minister has given him blessings and what is there for him has been only through the PM's efforts. I express my gratitude and thank him for this," Shambhu Dayal Shukla, the astronaut's father told ANI as they watched a livestream of he landing in Lucknow.

He mentioned how multiple leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, and multiple other leaders congratulated them, and blessed Shukla for his space journey.

"Yogi Adityanath also blessed my child, Defence Minister also congratulated us and blessed our child. Everyone congratulated us and blessed him," Shambhu Dayal Shukla said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his welcome message for Group Captain Shukla upon his return to Earth said he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication. The PM termed the achievement a significant step towards India's Human Space Flight Mission Gaganyaan.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said earlier in a post on X, "Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's successful return from the historic Axiom-4 mission is a proud moment for every Indian. He has not just touched space, he has lifted India's aspirations to new heights. His journey to the International Space Station and back is not just a personal milestone, it is a proud stride for India's growing space ambitions. Wishing him great success in his future endeavours."

SpaceX made the announcement of the mission in a post on X, as the mission marks the final stages of the crew's return from the International Space Station (ISS) after almost 20 days in space. The re-entry was done following the completion of the deorbit burn and the jettisoning of the trunk, as confirmed by SpaceX.

"Dragon's nosecone is closed and secured for reentry. Splashdown in ~26 minutes," SpaceX stated in a post on X."

"Dragon's deorbit burn is complete and the trunk has been jettisoned," stated another post.

Apart from Shukla, the Ax-4 crew comprising Commander Peggy Whitson, European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz "Suave" Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) astronaut Tibor Kapu had been actively engaged in research and outreach activities aboard the ISS.

As per NASA, the Dragon spacecraft returns to Earth with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted during the mission.

The mission was launched on June 25 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS on June 26 at 4:05 pm IST, ahead of schedule, connecting to the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module.

- ANI