Ax-4 Crew, Including India’s Shukla, to Splash Down Near San Diego Today

After an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his fellow Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members are on track to make a safe return to Earth. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying the international team, is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego today at approximately 3:01 p.m. IST (2:31 a.m. PT).

SpaceX confirmed the reentry timeline, noting, “Dragon and the @Axiom_Space Ax-4 crew are on track to reenter Earth’s atmosphere and splash down off the coast of San Diego. Dragon will also announce its arrival with a brief sonic boom prior to splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.”

The return journey from the ISS began on July 14, 2025, and will take about 22.5 hours to complete. After undocking from the orbiting laboratory, the spacecraft performed a series of departure burns and orbital-lowering maneuvers. Before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, Dragon jettisoned its trunk to prepare for a safe descent.

Group Captain Shukla, serving as the pilot for the Ax-4 mission, is part of a diverse and historic crew. He is joined by Mission Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Together, the team carried out an ambitious set of scientific objectives during their stay in orbit.

Launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25, the Ax-4 mission marked another major step in global space collaboration. The crew conducted nearly 60 scientific experiments, representing the efforts and interests of 31 countries, including India, the U.S., Poland, Hungary, UAE, Nigeria, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and several European nations.

The returning Dragon capsule is also carrying over 580 pounds of critical cargo, including NASA hardware and valuable data from the mission’s experiments — insights expected to benefit future research in medicine, materials science, and space sustainability.

As Group Captain Shukla prepares to return to Earth, he becomes a symbol of India’s expanding role in space exploration — a moment of pride not only for ISRO and the Indian Air Force but also for millions of Indians tracking this milestone mission.

Also Read: Shubhanshu Shukla to Return to Earth Today After Historic 14-Day Mission