BENGALURU: As the whole nation celebrates the splashdown of Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on July 15 at 3:02 pm at Pacific Ocean, off California coast as part of the Axiom-4 space mission, India’s Gaganyatri has been sent to medical quarantine for seven days for his physical, mental and psychological well-being.
In the meantime, ISRO, which had sent Shukla on the mission and invested Rs 550 crore on it, said that the safety and health of its astronaut was its top most priority. The ISRO team also shared a detailed account of the works Shukla had undertaken during his 21-day long space mission, of which 18 days were spent on the International Space Station.
ISRO stated that Shukla had adapted exceptionally well to the zero-gravity environment in space. Despite the physical and psychological challenges of spaceflight, he maintained optimal health throughout the mission. He also captured and shared a wide array of photographs and videos documenting his life and works during the low Earth orbit mission.
ISRO-led scientific experiments completed
Shukla completed a suite of seven microgravity experiments developed by Indian research institutions under the Human Space Flight Centre’s (HSFC) coordination.
These experiments explored muscle regeneration, algal growth, crop viability, microbial survivability, cognitive performance in space, and the behaviour of cyanobacteria - each aimed at enhancing understanding of human spaceflight and microgravity science.
The experiments included- Space Microalgae (developed by ICGEB and BRIC-NIPGR, New Delhi): It assessed the growth and radiation response of edible algae; Myogenesis (developed by BRIC-InStem, Bengaluru): Under this the muscle regeneration with supplement treatment were studied; sprouting of methi and moong seeds in microgravity (developed by UAS & IIT Dharwad); life, resilience and aging pattern of tardigrade (designed by IISc, Bengaluru); cognitive testing with in-flight user interface displays of electronic displays (also designed by IISc, Bengaluru); comparative growth and proteomics of Cyanobacteria in Microgravity (developed by ICGEB, New Delhi); and Impact of microgravity on seed physiology on food crop seeds (developed by IIST and KAU, Thiruvananthapuram).
“All experiments were completed successfully, and samples have been returned for detailed post-flight analysis. Shukla worked in close partnership with the four member crew as part of the Axiom-4 mission and the Expedition 73 crew onboard the ISS that welcomed the mission crew. He contributed to the daily rhythm of ISS operations and supported in joint science, maintenance and outreach efforts.
“He participated in integrated crew timelines, shared resources aboard the Harmony module and coordinated multiple crossover activities, fostering international cooperation in space,” ISRO team stated with pride.
Public engagements
Shukla task in space was not just limited to conducting experiments, but also holding live interactive sessions with people on Earth. Under the exercise of conducting public outreach programmes as part of the Axiom-4 mission, on June 28, 2025, Shukla interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ISS.
During the interaction, Modi not just inquired about his well- being but also gave him a homework to do from space. Later on July 3, 2025, Shukla faced some tough and some inquisitive questions form school students from Trivandrum and Lucknow through a video link.
Following this, Shukla also held two Amateur Radio interactions from the ISS, hosted by the International Space Station (ARISS) on July 4, 2025, with students and engineers at URSC, Bengaluru, and on July 8, 2005, with students from seven schools from Northeast India through a coordinated link with NESAC, Meghalaya.
On July 6, 2025, Shukla had also held a teleconference with the ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, updating him on the progress of the Indian science payloads and sharing preliminary observations. The exchange reinforced the strong operational link between ground teams and the astronaut, ensuring real-time alignment of mission objectives.
Final mission phase events
The formal farewell ceremony for the Axiom-4 crew was conducted aboard the ISS on July 13, 2025, at around 7.25 pm IST by the Expedition 73 crew members and mission control teams onboard the ISS. All the teams expressed their appreciation for the collaborative efforts and marked the occasion as a symbolic gesture of international friendship, including commemorative mission patches and final photographs in the Harmony module.
Following the farewell ceremony, the Axiom-4 crew proceeded with hatch closure and vehicle ingress, and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the ISS on July 14, 2025 at 4.45 pm IST.
The undocking was carried out with nominal systems performance, monitored by NASA and Axiom Space flight controllers in coordination with SpaceX’s control unit in California.
After orbiting the Earth independently for 22 hours and 30 minutes, the splashdown of Dragon occurred successfully on July 15, 2025, at 3.02 pm IST in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California.
The capsule was recovered promptly by SpaceX’s recovery teams and Shukla was extracted in stable condition. The mission concluded with nominal deorbit operations and vehicle performance.
Post-flight status
ISRO team said, Shukla is is now undergoing a structured post-mission medical evaluation and recovery protocol under the supervision of Axiom Space and ISRO flight surgeons.
During the seven-days programme, cardiovascular assessments, musculoskeletal tests and psychological debriefs aimed at ensuring full physiological recovery and data capture for future missions, will be conducted.
Mission operation exposure
ISRO said that as a part of India’s participation in Axiom-4 mission, a dedicated high-level team and mission operations team of ISRO were deployed at the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. The delegation participated in the launch operations.
“Initially, the launch was rescheduled multiple times due to technical issues including oxygen leakage in booster stage engine bay. On ISRO team’s insistence, the launch mission was delayed and the oxygen leakage issue was completely resolved leading to safe and successful launch. The ISRO was also present at the Johnsson Space Centre, Houston, to join in the docking operations,” ISRO team said.
ISRO’s mission operations team stayed in Houston, to get first-hand experience in managing human spaceflight operations. The team was embedded alongside NASA and Axiom flight controllers, participating in real-time decision-making, telemetry tracking, crew timeline management and health monitoring of both the astronaut and the science payloads.
This exposure provided critical insights into international crewed mission coordination, emergency response protocols, and the complexities of orbital operations. This collaborative mission will serve as a vital stepping stone in building India’s own crewed mission operations infrastructure, enhancing readiness for future indigenous human spaceflight programs such as Gaganyaan and the Bhartiya Antariksha Station, ISRO team said.
