Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and his team successfully completed their 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), making a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California. The Axiom-4 crew, which included Shukla, US astronaut Peggy Whitson, Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, returned on the Dragon ‘Grace’ spacecraft. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Shukla back, celebrating his historic achievement as the first Indian to visit the ISS. Shukla’s mission signifies a major milestone for India, marking the nation’s renewed involvement in space exploration after four decades. The crew will undergo medical checks and rehabilitation before returning to Earth’s gravity.
