As Homecoming Nears, Shux And Team Pose For ISS Crew Portrait: Watch

ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla joins international crewmates for a rare photo session aboard the ISS ahead of Axiom Mission 4’s return to Earth on July 15.

As their historic space journey nears its end, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and fellow astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) marked the moment with a rare and heartfelt photo session, capturing the spirit of international collaboration in orbit.

In a striking set of images released ahead of the Axiom Mission 4 crew’s scheduled return, astronauts from five nations — India, the United States, Japan, Hungary, and Poland — can be seen standing side by side, smiling in their flight suits. The photos feature all eight astronauts currently aboard the ISS, including members of both Axiom Mission 4 and NASA’s Expedition 73.

How the ISS Crew Took Their Own Portrait

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, who shared the behind-the-scenes glimpse on social media platform X, revealed how the crew captured the moment. “We don't get in our flight suits often, but chance had us all decked out, so we took advantage and took some photos with our new crewmates,” Kim wrote. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know and work with these professionals. It’s also been amazing to watch the ground collaboration for research between our partner nations.”

According to Kim, the team used a wall-mounted tripod and set a camera to time-lapse mode, snapping images at quick intervals — a clever workaround for the weightless environment where traditional photography setups aren’t feasible.

"Saare Jahan Se Achchha"

“Even today, Bharat appears ‘saare jahan se accha’ from up here,” Shukla remarked, echoing the legendary words of India’s first astronaut, Rakesh Sharma, from 1984.

India's Representation In Axiom-4 Mission

Among those featured in the photos is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an astronaut from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who made history as part of this landmark private spaceflight mission. The Axiom Mission 4 crew also includes former NASA astronaut and current Axiom Space director of human spaceflight, Peggy Whitson; ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland; and Tibor Kapu, representing Hungary through the HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) program.

Countdown To Earth

This international team launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25, docking with the ISS a day later. After completing a series of research and outreach activities aboard the station, the crew is set to undock on July 14 at 4:30 PM IST. If weather conditions allow, their return capsule will make a safe splashdown on July 15 at approximately 3:00 PM IST, according to ISRO.