Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force and his fellow Axiom-4 crew members were safely assisted out of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and into the recovery vehicle after successfully completing their 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The Dragon spacecraft Grace undocked from the International Space Station at 4:45 PM IST on Monday.
The spacecraft was carrying astronaut Shukla, mission commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
Milestones Of Axiom-4 Mission
The Ax-4 mission marks a historic milestone in space exploration for India, Poland, and Hungary—each undertaking its first government-backed human spaceflight in more than 40 years. While this is only the second crewed mission for each nation, it is the first time all three have joined forces on a collaborative expedition aboard the International Space Station.
PM Modi Welcomes Shubanshu Shukla
Taking to X, PM Narendra Modi said, "I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India’s first astronaut to have visited International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit. It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission - Gaganyaan."
Meanwhile, Gaganyaan is India’s first human spaceflight mission, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
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