New Delhi: After nearly two weeks aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Axiom-4 crew is finally coming home. Among them is Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, whose presence on this private space mission has drawn strong attention from Indian space watchers and science students alike.
The return journey is already in motion. On Monday, July 14, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is set to undock from the ISS, with splashdown expected a day later off the California coast. Timings may still shift depending on weather conditions, but everything looks on track so far.
Full schedule of Axiom-4 return to Earth
As of now, the plan is for the Dragon capsule to undock from the ISS’s Harmony module at 4:35 pm IST on Monday, July 14. The spacecraft will then begin its descent through Earth’s atmosphere before landing in the Pacific Ocean near California.
The splashdown is expected at around 3:00 pm IST on Tuesday, July 15, according to Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh. He also said there’s a one-hour margin of flexibility built into the timeline, depending on how re-entry and weather conditions unfold.
Update: #Axiom4 International Space Station #ISS Mission:
As of now, undocking has been scheduled for tomorrow, 14th July at 4:30 PM IST.
Arrival back to earth…. splash down scheduled for 15th July at 3:00 PM IST.
These timings have a margin window of approximately 1 hour.…
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) July 13, 2025
NASA and Axiom-4 mission return schedule in IST:
- 2:00 pm, July 14 – Hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+
- 2:25 pm – Crew enters the Dragon spacecraft, hatch closing follows
- 4:15 pm – NASA+, Axiom Space, and SpaceX channels start undocking coverage
- 4:35 pm – Spacecraft undocks from ISS
- 3:00 pm, July 15 – Splashdown near California coast
NASA’s live broadcast ends shortly after undocking, but Axiom Space will resume re-entry and splashdown coverage on their official website.
Shukla’s father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, while speaking to PTI, said the family is filled with gratitude and pride. “We thank the PM, every person in country for giving blessings to my son, his mission is completing. We are ready to receive him on earth. He will be returning to America tomorrow. We are praying for his safe return. We talked meanwhile, he showed how he was living in space. He gave description of many things. He was happy. His achievement is inspirational. I had told him to try all out, there should not be half-hearted effort, should persevere.”
What happens during splashdown?
Once Dragon separates from the ISS, it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere at around 28,000 kmph (around 7.8 km/s). Heat shields protect it during descent, followed by parachute deployment. The capsule is expected to land softly in the Pacific Ocean, where recovery boats will be ready to pick up the crew.
The California coast was selected for splashdown because of its weather stability and safe zone away from heavy traffic routes.
Why this mission matters
Axiom-4 is part of NASA’s wider effort to hand over low Earth orbit missions to private firms, while it focuses more on long-term projects like the Artemis Moon program. SpaceX provides the transport, Axiom manages operations, and NASA collaborates on planning.
It’s a new kind of space teamwork, one that allows astronauts like Shubhanshu Shukla to participate in such missions without needing to be part of a national space agency.