Jul 14, 2025 13:29 IST Shubhanshu Shukla in space LIVE: Reahbilitation is important 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. Jul 14, 2025 13:23 IST Ax-4 return LIVE: Re-entry and splashdown 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. Jul 14, 2025 13:00 IST Shubhanshu Shukla space mission: Return journey 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. Jul 14, 2025 12:48 IST Ax-4 return LIVE: Undocking explained 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. Jul 14, 2025 12:48 IST Shux's return LIVE: What it takes to survive at the Space Station 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. HERE Jul 14, 2025 12:45 IST Shubhanshu Shukla space mission: Some iconic pictures from ISS Here are some iconic images from Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla's time aboard the Space Station. Jul 14, 2025 12:40 IST It’s been a pleasure getting to know and work with these professionals: Jonny Kim 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