Axiom-4 crew to undock from ISS today, splashdown on July 15; when & where to watch
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United News of India
2 hours ago
- United News of India
After historic ISS mission, Shukla reaches India to rousing reception
Chennai, Aug 17 (UNI) Decorated Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who piloted the Axiom-4 Mission and become the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) where he conducted microgravity experiments during his 18-day stay, landed in New Delhi this morning from Texas, US. He was accorded a rousing reception on his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi early this morning. Shukla, who along with three other crew members on board AX-4 (others being from the US, Poland and Hungary) splashed down off the coast of California on July 15 after an 18-day stay aboard the ISS, was received by his Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and his family members, including his wife Kamna, and ISRO scientists. Terming his visit to ISS as a moment f pride, later, he met ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan and shared his experience he had at ISS. Shux was expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi either today or tomorrow. Dr Jitendra in a post on X said "a moment of pride for India! ." "A moment of glory for #ISRO! A moment of gratitude to the dispensation that facilitated this under the leadership of PM @narendramodi", he wrote. . Sharing the photos upon receiving at the airport, Dr Jitendra said "India's Space glory touches the Indian soil… as the iconic son of Mother India, #Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla lands at Delhi in the early hours of morning today." "Accompanying him, another equally accomplished Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, one of the astronauts selected for India's first Human mission Gaganyaan who was India's designated backup for the mission to the International Space Station #ISS", he added. "Privileged to receive both of them at the New Delhi Airport along with Delhi CM Smt. Rekha Gupta @gupta_rekha, #ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan and later welcomed by a group of students", he said. Shux was the first Indian in 41 years afer Rakesh Sharma to travel to space and the first ever to visit ISS when the AX-4 mission, which he piloted took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 25. Upon docking at ISS after a 28-hour journey, SHux conducted seven micro gravity experiments on behalf of ISRO, held outreaching programmes and also interacted with Mr Modi, ISRO Chairman and school and college students. After his ISS visit, the Dragon spacecraft splashed down successfully off California coast marking the culmination of a historic visit and milestone in India's space Odyssey. Shux boarded a flight to India at Texas yesterday and landed this morning. Afrer boarding the flight back to India, Shux penned an emotional note reflecting on his one year experience as part of the mission and said he was eager to return to India and share his experiences with all. "As I sit on the plane to come back to India I have a mix of emotions running through my heart", he wrote. "I feel sad leaving a fantastic group of people behind who were my friends and family for the past one year during this mission. I am also excited about meeting all my friends, family and everyone in the country for the first time post mission", he added. "I guess this is what life is - everything all at once", Shux posted in Instagram. "Having received incredible love and support from everyone during and after the mission I can't wait to come back to India to share my experiences with all of you", he said. "Goodbyes are hard but we need to keep moving in life. As my commander @astro_peggy fondly says 'the only constant in spaceflight is change'. I believe that applies to life as well.", Shux said. "I guess at the end of the day -'Yun hi chala chal rahi - jeevan gaadi hai samay pahiya' #axiom4 #shux #shubhanshushukla #space #farewell", he wrote quoting a Hindi song. UNI GV 0615
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Welcome Home, Heroes!': Shubhanshu Shukla returns to India after historic space mission
On his return to India after the historic visit to the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla was welcomed at Indira Gandhi International Airport by Union minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) Chairman V Narayanan on Sunday morning. Shukla was accompanied by backup astronaut Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta posted a video of the duo's arrival on social media. She wrote, 'Welcome Home, Heroes! What a moment of pride for Delhi and for the entire nation! Honoured to welcome Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Mission Pilot of Axiom Mission-4 and first ISRO astronaut to reach the International Space Station along with Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, one of the astronauts chosen for India's first human space mission Gaganyaan.' Welcome Home, Heroes! What a moment of pride for Delhi and for the entire nation! Honoured to welcome Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Mission Pilot of Axiom Mission-4 and first ISRO astronaut to reach the International Space Station along with Group Captain Prasanth… — Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) August 16, 2025 On Saturday, Shukla posted a photograph and note on social media. 'As I sit on the plane to come back to India, I have a mix of emotions running through my heart. I feel sad leaving a fantastic group of people behind who were my friends and family for the past year during this mission. I am also excited about meeting all my friends, family, and everyone in the country for the first time post-mission. I guess this is what life is – everything all at once,' he wrote. 'Having received incredible love and support from everyone during and after the mission, I can't wait to come back to India to share my experiences with all of you. Goodbyes are hard, but we need to keep moving in life. As my commander Peggy Whitson fondly says, 'The only constant in spaceflight is change.' I believe that applies to life as well,' he added. Shukla, who was part of the Axiom Mission-4 that lifted off from Florida on June 25, had been training in the US for over the past one year. The private space mission, which had three other astronauts as well, docked at the ISS on June 26. Shukla returned to Earth on July 15.
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Hans India
Russia to commence space mission design, plans to revisit Venus before 2036
Vladivostok: Russia plans to launch its Venera-D interplanetary mission to revisit Venus before 2036, and preparations are already underway, state media reported on Sunday. The mission is now part of the country's new national space programme, and the preliminary design work on the mission will begin in January 2026, coinciding with the start of the national space project, Oleg Korablev, head of the Department of Planetary Physics at the Space Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was quoted as saying by TASS news agency. The draft design phase is expected to take two years, and preparations have commenced in collaboration with the Lavochkin Association, a Russian space industry enterprise, including multiple coordination meetings to streamline progress, said Korablev, Xinhua News Agency reported. The scientist noted that the mission's launch date will be determined after the design stage is complete. "But it will definitely take place within the current planning period, no later than 2036," he said. The Venera-D mission is planned to include a lander, a balloon probe, and an orbital spacecraft. Earlier this year, IKI's scientific director and academician Lev Zeleny said the launch is unlikely before 2034 or 2035. Earlier this month, four astronauts from the US, Japan, and Russia, part of the NASA rotation mission, successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS), after an approximately 15-hour journey, the US space agency said on August 2. Called Crew 11, the team involves NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The crew lifted off at 11.43 a.m. Eastern Time (9.13 p.m. IST) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 1. The crew-11 joined NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Jonny Kim, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky, who were already on board the ISS.
