Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla return journey begins; Here’s Ax-4 Mission update

India’s Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh informed that the Axiom-4 team will land in the sea on July 15 at 3 pm (Indian time).

New Delhi: After conducting scientific experiments in space for 18 days, now its time to come back to earth of Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and his three other fellow astronauts. This team of Axiom-4 mission is preparing to return to Earth on Monday.

Who Included In Mission?

There are a total four astronauts in the Axiom-4 mission. Which includes crew- commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Poland resident and mission specialist Slavosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, Hungary resident and mission specialist Tibor Kapu. This team will leave the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday at 4:35 pm Indian time.

Space hero Shubhanshu Shukla ready to return to earth; Joyful dinner at ISS

Preparation For Return to Earth

India's Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh informed that the Axiom-4 team will land in the sea on July 15 at 3 pm (Indian time). On Friday and Saturday, all the astronauts together organized a special dinner before leaving. At present there are a total of 11 astronauts in space - 7 from Expedition 73 mission and 4 from Axiom-4 mission.

Dinner In Space

American astronaut Jonny Kim wrote on X that the meal he had with the Axiom-4 team was one of the most memorable evenings. The dinner included rehydrated shrimp cocktail and crackers as a starter, while the main dish was chicken and beef fajitas, while bread, condensed milk and walnut cake were given as dessert.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla took mango juice and carrot halwa with him, while Polish astronaut Slavosz shared pierogi (a dish filled with mushrooms and cabbage).

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla grows methi and moon on ISS

Farming In Space

In the last phase of his mission, Group Captain Shukla played the role of a farmer. He grew moong and fenugreek in a petri dish, pictures of which were also shared. These seeds have been kept safe in the freezer so that further experiments can be done on Earth.

Microgravity Effect On Plants

The main objective of this experiment is to know how microgravity in space affects seed germination and plant growth. These seeds will be grown for several generations so that possible changes in genetics and nutritional profile can be studied.