NewKerala.com

Key Points

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's parents are overjoyed as their son prepares to return from his historic ISS mission. The Ax-4 crew will undock on July 14 and splash down near California the next day. Shukla's mother revealed plans for a grand welcome upon his return to India. During their mission, the crew conducted groundbreaking experiments including diabetes research and plant growth studies in space.

Key Points: Shubhanshu Shukla's Mother Plans Grand Welcome as Ax-4 Returns from ISS

  • Shubhanshu Shukla to return July 15 after 18-day ISS mission
  • Ax-4 crew conducted 60+ experiments including diabetes research
  • First Indian astronaut to visit the ISS
  • Dragon spacecraft to bring back 580 lbs of cargo
3 min read

Will give him grand welcome: Shubhanshu Shukla's mother ahead of his return to Earth from space

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's family eagerly awaits his return from the ISS, planning a grand welcome for India's first astronaut to visit the station.

"We will give him a grand welcome - Asha Shukla, mother of Shubhanshu Shukla"

Lucknow, July 13

As Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), featuring Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, prepares to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14, his parents have expressed their happiness and prayed for his safe return.

The crew is expected to splash down off the coast of California on July 15.

Shubhanshu's father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, told ANI, "Tomorrow, July 14, the undocking will take place at around 4.30 pm and on July 15, he will return to Earth. We were waiting for this, so we are happy that he is coming back. We pray to God that he comes back safely..."

His mother, Asha Shukla, said the family is planning a grand welcome for him. "We pray to God that he completes his mission successfully and comes back to earth as soon as possible and meets us... We will give him a grand welcome," she told ANI.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer, is the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS. He is scheduled to return to Earth on July 15 along with his Ax-4 crew members.

The team will undock from the ISS at around 4:35 pm IST on July 14, and splashdown is expected in the Pacific Ocean near California at approximately 3 pm IST on Tuesday, July 15. The return journey aboard the Dragon spacecraft will take around 22 hours, concluding their nearly 18-day stay aboard the space station.

The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz "Suave" Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu.

During their stay, the team conducted multiple scientific experiments and outreach activities aboard the orbiting laboratory.

A live farewell ceremony with NASA's Expedition 73 crew is scheduled to take place at 08:55 AM CT (7:25 PM IST) tomorrow. In a post on X, Axiom Space said, "The Ax4 crew will soon conclude their mission aboard the ISS. Watch the farewell ceremony live tomorrow at 08:55 AM CT ahead of their scheduled undocking on Monday."

The Dragon spacecraft will return with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted during the mission.

On "flight day 18", Kapu continued his work on the Fruit Fly DNA Repair study, investigating genetic stability under space radiation, and the VITAPRIC project, growing nutrient-rich plants for astronaut nutrition. Group Captain Shukla, along with his team, tested Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) to assess their accuracy in microgravity, a critical step toward enabling diabetic individuals to participate in spaceflight, as part of the Suite Ride initiative.

Other studies on flight day 18 included Voyager Displays, examining eye movement and coordination, and ENPERCHAR, exploring astronaut perception in microgravity.

The Neuromotion VR study assessed attention and motor skills, while the Suit Fabric Study gathered data on heat transfer, impacting spacesuit design and terrestrial applications.

The crew also worked on the AstroMentalHealth and EEG Neurofeedback projects, which focused on mental health and stress reduction, respectively.

Axiom Mission 4 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

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
While this is great achievement, I hope ISRO focuses more on affordable space tech that benefits common people. These missions are expensive and we have many earth-bound problems to solve first.
A
Aditya G
The glucose monitor research is revolutionary! My diabetic grandfather was asking if this means better treatment options might come from space research. Jai Hind! 🚀
S
Sarah B
As an expat in India, I'm amazed by how space exploration unites people here. The neighborhood tea shop had the ISS docking on TV - everyone was cheering like it was a cricket match!
K
Karthik V
The mental health research in space is much needed, especially for our astronauts on long missions. Hope these findings help people on Earth too dealing with stress and isolation.
N
Nisha Z
Can we please have more coverage of Indian women scientists in ISRO? While celebrating Shubhanshu ji, let's not forget the many brilliant women behind our space missions too! 👩‍🔬
M
Michael C
The international collaboration here is impressive! Indian astronaut working with NASA, ESA and Hungarian counterparts - this is how space exploration should be. Global teamwork for science!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50