Shubhanshu Shukla undocking Live updates: Ax-4 crew to enter Dragon shortly
#WATCH | The Axiom-4 mission, featuring Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is set to undock from the International Space Station today, July 14th.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh says, "Today at around 4:30 PM, they will be undocked. The most important thing is that the experiments… pic.twitter.com/p9xZ8IgDSO
— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2025
Within 10 minutes of landing, SpaceX's recovery ship will reach the capsule to safely pull it out of the water and help the astronauts, including Shukla, get medical checkups.
By around 4:00 p.m. IST, the team will be heading to a Nasa base, most likely the Vandenberg Space Force Base, for debriefing and begin their rehabilitation.
This return is a proud moment for India's space journey. Shukla's mission supports Isro's Gaganyaan plans for 2027. The experiments done during the mission could help with future space farming and medical research, benefiting both space and life on Earth.
Re-entry starts at about 2:40 p.m. IST (22 hours 10 minutes after undocking), when the spacecraft enters the atmosphere at 120 km altitude, speeding at 27,000 km/h.
The heat shield will protect the capsule from temperatures as high as 1,900C, and the astronauts will feel forces three to four times their body weight during the 12–15 minute descent.
During this, a brief communication blackout will occur due to plasma buildup on the spacecraft from the friction produced by the atmosphere. At around 2:53 p.m. IST, two small drogue parachutes will open at about 5.5 km height, slowing the spacecraft down from 156 m/s to 53 m/s. Then, four large primary parachutes will deploy at around 1.8 km, reducing the speed further to about 7 m/s.
The Dragon is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean at 3:00 p.m. IST.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft will stay in space for the next 21 hours, flying freely around Earth while preparing to return.
During this time, the crew—led by Shukla—will use touchscreen controls to keep an eye on the systems, making sure everything from life support to navigation is working fine.
Meanwhile, ground teams will plan the re-entry path, aiming for a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean to avoid debris risks. About 21 hours after leaving the space station (around 1:30 p.m. IST, July 15), the spacecraft will drop its trunk, which holds the solar panels. After this, it will switch to battery power.
Roughly 40 minutes later (around 2:10 p.m. IST), Crew Dragon will fire its engines for about 12 minutes to slow down by 100 m/s. This will change its orbit to guide it back into Earth's atmosphere.
At 4:30 p.m. IST, the Crew Dragon will undock, releasing docking hooks and executing a series of Draco thruster burns each lasting 1.5 seconds, adding 0.15 m/s speed for separation from the ISS.
About 10 minutes post-undocking at 4:40 pm IST, a Depart 1 Burn will increase the separation rate to 1.25 m/s, safely distancing the spacecraft from the ISS.
Grabbing the morning-coffee mug is muscle memory on Earth. But at the International Space Station (ISS), even that's a feat of science and improvisation. With Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla set to return from the ISS after 18 days, here's a peek into the strange, disciplined, and ingenious life 400 km above Earth. READ MORE HERE
Here are some iconic images from Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla's time aboard the Space Station.
Astronaut Jonny Kim shared images of the astronauts from the farewell ceremony. He said, "In this picture we have eight astronauts representing the United States, Japan, India, Hungary and Poland. It's been a pleasure getting to know and work with these professionals, and it's been amazing to watch the ground collaboration for research between our partner nations."
We don't get in our flight suits often, but chance had us all decked out so we took advantage and took some photos with our new crewmates.
In this picture we have eight astronauts representing the United States, Japan, India, Hungary and Poland. It's been a pleasure getting to… pic.twitter.com/l3AWgG9quD
— Jonny Kim (@JonnyKimUSA) July 13, 2025
Preparations for departure begin three hours before undocking, around 1:30 p.m. IST on July 14, 2025.
The crew will stow scientific samples, such as Isro's microalgae and plant seeds, in the Crew Dragon's pressurised cabin, donning SpaceX pressure suits for safety. Ground teams at SpaceX and Nasa Mission Control will verify the spacecraft's propulsion, life support, and communication systems, while the ISS's solar arrays are stabilised.
The hatch between the ISS's Harmony module and the Crew Dragon will be sealed, with leak checks ensuring integrity.
The Dragon spacecraft Grace will undock from the Space Station at 4:30 pm.
It will take a 21-hour-long journey for the astronauts to align for re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Good afternoon,
Welcome to India Today Science LIEV Blog as we begin the coverage of the historic undocking of Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla with the Ax-4 mission from the International Space.
Stay with us as we get you real-time information, updates and details of the return journey.
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