Shubhanshu Shukla Got Haircut In Space Before Undocking: How Astronauts Reach The ‘Mane' Point

News18

9 hours ago

Shubhanshu Shukla, who was floating 400 km above Earth aboard the International Space Station, got the haircut just hours before undocking for his return trip home
Apart from the other distinctions, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla also made history for another unconventional reason — becoming the first Indian to get haircut in space.
Shukla, who was floating 400 km above Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS), got the haircut just hours before undocking for his return trip home. He is set to return today.
Who gave Shubhanshu Shukla the haircut?
Astronaut Ayers wrote on X, 'We said goodbye to our Ax4 friends today. I was just reminiscing about the haircuts from last weekend. After a long quarantine, I think it was nice for them. We joked about how I might have a future in the haircutting business when I get back on Earth, but the reviews are still out."
Ayers is a Major in the US Air Force and has spent 122 days in space. She has conducted spacewalks totalling about six hours.
Here's how it works:
Special Clippers: NASA provides hair clippers modified with a vacuum hose.
Suction System: The vacuum sucks up the hair as it is being cut, preventing the tiny strands from floating around.
Crew Assistance: Sometimes astronauts cut each other's hair, but they can also do it themselves using mirrors and a steady hand.
How do astronauts maintain hygiene in space?
Astronauts maintain hygiene in space without running water by using no-rinse wipes and rinseless body wash to clean their skin, along with no-rinse shampoo for hair. They brush their teeth with regular toothbrushes and swallow the toothpaste or spit it into a towel. Clothes aren't washed but worn multiple times before being discarded. The toilet uses air suction to manage waste, and urine is often recycled into drinking water. These methods keep astronauts clean and healthy in the microgravity environment of space.
📸 Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla gets a haircut in space 💇‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/Bq3hE6jRhp — ISRO Spaceflight (@ISROSpaceflight) July 15, 2025
When will Shubhanshu Shukla return?
Astronaut and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission began their return journey to Earth on Monday as the Dragon Grace spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station after an 18-day stay.
Following a series of orbital manoeuvres after undocking, the Dragon spacecraft is expected to splash down near the coast of California on Tuesday at 3.01 pm IST.
This mission not only marks Shukla as the second Indian astronaut in space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's historic flight in 1984, but also positions India as a serious contender in the global space community.
Shukla and Axiom 4 (Ax-4) crew Commander Peggy Whitson, and Mission Specialists Slawosz 'Suave" Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu embarked on the space odyssey on June 25 from Florida.
With Agency Inputs
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