Axiom 4 Mission: After completing 230 orbits, Shubhanshu Shukla to return to earth on..., completed journey of...

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and the other three members of the Axiom-4 mission are scheduled to return to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14, Nasa has confirmed. “We are working with the station program, watching the Axiom-4 progress carefully. I think we need to undock that mission and the current target to undock is July 14,” said Steve Stitch, Manager of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program, during a press briefing.

Over the course of two weeks onboard the ISS, the Axiom-4 crew — Shukla, Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu — have completed nearly 230 orbits of Earth. They have witnessed 230 sunrises and covered a distance of almost 10,000,000 kilometres in space, according to a report by the Press Trust of India. According to a statement by Axiom Space, “From about 250 miles above the Earth, the crew spent their downtime capturing images and video, taking in the view of our home planet below, and reconnecting with loved ones.” These quiet moments offered a rare break in their otherwise tightly scheduled daily routine.

As they await Nasa’s final confirmation on the return schedule, the crew recently had their last off-duty day onboard the ISS, marking the end of their non-working days during the mission. The Axiom-4 mission has also been notable for its scientific achievements. The crew has carried out over 60 experiments across fields such as biomedical science, space technology, agriculture, neuroscience, and advanced materials — the most ever in any Axiom private astronaut mission so far.

These investigations are expected to offer valuable insights for future human spaceflight and daily life on Earth. Some areas of focus include diabetes care, new approaches to cancer treatment, and improved ways to track human health and performance in space. “Every test tube, data point, and observation brings us one step closer to a global community living and working in low-Earth orbit and, eventually, beyond,” Axiom Space said in its statement.

The Axiom-4 mission was launched from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 25. After a 28-hour journey, the Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station on June 26. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)