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Shubhanshu Shukla and crew's return journey set for July 14; farewell ceremony today | What we know
The Dragon spacecraft carrying Shubhanshu Shukla is expected to reach near the coast of California on July 15 at 3pm IST.
After completing close to 230 orbits around the Earth and travelling for more than six million miles, the Axiom 4 Mission crew is set to return on Monday, 14 July. Ahead of the undocking, a farewell ceremony for the four astronauts will be held on July 13, 7:25 PM IST.
The four astronaut crew, which includes India's Shubhanshu Shukla, is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station on July 14, at 4:34 pm IST, as per NASA.
As per ISRO, the Dragon spacecraft will follow a series of orbital maneuvers after undocking and is expected to reach near the coast of California on July 15 at 3pm IST.
Also read: Axiom Mission 4 crew to depart ISS on July 14: Here’s when and where to watch live
The Dragon spacecraft will return along with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted during the mission.
Shukla and the three other astronauts are expected to board the spacecraft at 2:25 pm IST on July 14 and carry out the necessary tests before they begin their journey back to Earth.
Shukla to undergo rehab upon return; family waits eagerly
Upon his return to Earth, Shubhanshu Shukla is set to undergo a seven-day rehabilitation. "Post splashdown, the Gaganyatri will undergo a rehabilitation program (about seven days) under supervision of Flight Surgeon to adapt back to Earth’s gravity,” said ISRO.
Meanwhile, the Indian astronaut's family expressed joy and pride and said that they are eagerly waiting for his return.
While speaking to PTI, Shubhanshu's father Shambhu Dayal Shukla said “it felt great to see that his mission is going well. He showed us where he works, where he sleeps, his lab, and what his daily routine looks like."
Shukla became the second Indian to go to space and the first to enter the International Space Station with the Axiom-4 mission.
When was Axiom 4 Mission launched?
Axiom Mission 4, carrying Shukla, took off for the ISS on June 26. Along with Shukla, the mission had three mother astronauts - commander Peggy Whitson from the US, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu of Poland and Hungary
The SpaceX Falcon 9, carrying the crew, was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Over two weeks of their mission, the crew was involved in research activities including performing centrifugation and freezing of microalgae samples.
