The Ax-4 mission, involving the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is nearing its end. The crew is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station on July 14 around 4:35 PM IST, with a splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean off California on July 15 at approximately 3 PM IST. The return trip aboard the Dragon spacecraft will take about 22 hours, concluding their nearly 18-day stay. The Ax-4 team consists of Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (ISRO), Slawosz ‘Suave’ Uznanski-Wisniewski (ESA), and Tibor Kapu (HUNOR). During their mission, they performed scientific research and outreach activities. A farewell ceremony with NASA’s Expedition 73 crew is planned. The Dragon spacecraft is bringing back over 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from more than 60 experiments. On ‘flight day 18’, Kapu worked on the Fruit Fly DNA Repair study and the VITAPRIC project. Group Captain Shukla’s team tested Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) in microgravity. The mission also included studies on Voyager Displays, ENPERCHAR, Neuromotion VR, and Suit Fabric Study, alongside the AstroMentalHealth and EEG Neurofeedback projects. The Ax-4 mission commenced with a launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on June 25, leading to docking with the ISS on June 26.
