Axiom-4 Crew Including Shubhanshu Returns to Earth as Dragon Completes Textbook Splashdown Off California Coast

New Delhi: After completing 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and spending 20 days in space overall, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and his fellow Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crewmates have safely returned to Earth. Their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Grace, made a flawless pre-dawn splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, early Tuesday morning, concluding the fourth private mission to the ISS by Axiom Space.

The capsule’s reentry was dramatic, creating a sonic boom that shook parts of Southern California just before 2:31 a.m. Pacific Time (3:01 p.m. IST) as it streaked through the atmosphere and descended parallel to the California coastline. Splashdown followed minutes later, with two SpaceX recovery vessels stationed nearby to secure the capsule and conduct standard medical and technical checks on the returning crew.

The Dragon undocked from the ISS at 4:45 p.m. IST on Monday, beginning its roughly 23-hour journey home. The undocking occurred with a slight delay, followed by two controlled separation burns to exit orbit safely. Dragon’s reentry sequence involved a deorbit burn, trunk jettison, and nosecone closure before the capsule began its fiery descent through the atmosphere.

“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, @AstroPeggy, Shux, @astro_slawosz, and Tibi!” SpaceX tweeted, confirming the crew's safe return.

This was SpaceX's second crewed splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, following the Fram2 mission earlier this year that reinstated recovery operations off the U.S. West Coast.

The Ax-4 mission launched on June 25 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking a key moment for India, Poland, and Hungary, as it sent each nation's astronaut to the space station for the first time in history. Shubhanshu Shukla became only the second Indian national to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission in 1984.

The mission was operated by Houston-based Axiom Space, in collaboration with SpaceX for transport and NASA for access to the space station. Commanded by Peggy Whitson, a seasoned NASA astronaut, the Ax-4 crew also included Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

During their time in orbit, the astronauts conducted more than 60 experiments, focusing on muscle stimulation in microgravity, brain blood flow, and human-computer interaction technologies. The data gathered is expected to support future deep-space exploration and contribute to advances in healthcare on Earth.

With its smooth splashdown and scientific achievements, Ax-4 is being hailed as a landmark mission in the new era of commercial and international human spaceflight and a proud moment for India’s return to space.

Read: Axiom-4 Splashdown LIVE: Shubhanshu Shukla Creates History for India As SpaceX Dragon Returns to Earth