First Indian astronaut to visit ISS returns to Earth

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's trip to space created huge interest in India

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history by becoming the first Indian ever to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), has returned to Earth.

A live broadcast showed the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, which undocked from the orbiting laboratory with its four-member crew on Monday, splashing down off the coast of San Diego, California at 15:01 IST (09:31 GMT).

Led by former Nasa veteran Peggy Whitson and piloted by Group Captain Shukla, Ax-4 had arrived at ISS on 26 June. Its crew included Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

Group Captain Shukla is only the second Indian to have gone to space.

Axiom Space recently shared pictures on X, showing the crew enjoying a feast in orbit

His trip came 41 years after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.

Ax-4 - a commercial flight operated by Houston-based private firm Axiom Space - was a collaboration between Nasa, India's space agency Isro, European Space Agency (Esa) and SpaceX.

On Monday, ISS posted on X that the Ax-4 crew had taken their places in the spacecraft and its hatches had been closed. The undocking of the craft - when it separated from the ISS - was broadcast live.

On Tuesday morning, Axiom Space said the craft would announce its arrival with a brief sonic boom before splashing down in the ocean off the coast of California, after which a vessel would pick it up. The crew would then be flown out to land in a helicopter.

In his farewell address from aboard the ISS on Sunday, the Indian astronaut said India's journey in space exploration may be tough, but it has begun.

"It has been an incredible journey. Even though now it is coming to an end, for you and me there is a long way to go. The journey of our human space mission is very long and difficult. But if we are determined, even the stars are attainable."

He referred to India's first man in space cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma famously quoting from a 1924 Urdu song "Sare jahan se achcha" to say "India looked better than the rest of the world".

"Even today we want to know how it looks from space. I'll tell you. From space, today's India looks ambitious. It looks fearless. It looks confident. It looks proud. And so, I can once again say that today's India still looks better than the rest of the world," Group Captain Shukla said.

The spacecraft will take approximately 22 hours after leaving ISS to splash down

Ax-4, which was originally expected to spend two weeks on the ISS, ended up staying a few days longer. During their stay, Axiom Space said the crew conducted 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

Isro, which had paid 5bn rupees ($59m; £43m) to secure a seat for Group Captain Shukla on Ax-4 and his training, has said the hands-on experience he gains during his trip to the ISS will help India in its human space flights.

Isro has announced plans to launch Gaganyaan - the country's first-ever human space flight in 2027 - and has ambitious plans to set up a space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.

Shukla seen with astronauts at the International Space Station

Group Captain Shukla is among four Indian air force officers shortlisted last year to travel on Gaganyaan.

Born on 10 October 1985 in the northern city of Lucknow, Shukla joined the air force as a fighter pilot in 2006.

He has flown MiGs, Sukhois, Dorniers, Jaguars and Hawks and has more than 2,000 hours of flying experience.

Before flying into space, he described the past year as "nothing short of transformative".

"It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come," he said. "As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts. I request all Indians to pray for the success of our mission," he had said.