Shubhanshu Shukla Returns to Earth After Historic Space Mission

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the Ax‑4 crew undocked from the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Grace after an 18‑day mission

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The Dragon spacecraft started a carefully timed 22‑hour return journey, completing multiple Earth orbits before deorbit burn

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Re‑entry heats the heat shield to ~1,600 °C at speeds over 27,000 km/h — the riskiest phase of the mission

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A plasma-induced comm blackout occurred for about 6–7 minutes during peak re-entry heat

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Two-stage chute deployment begins at ~5.7 km, slowing the capsule for a soft splashdown

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Splashdown occurred near San Diego around 3 PM IST, with a sonic boom announced by SpaceX

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Besides Shukla, the mission included Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski‑Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), conducting 60+ experiments

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Shukla becomes India’s first astronaut to visit the ISS and second in space since Rakesh Sharma (1984). Critical for Gaganyaan

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Shubhanshu Shukla and said, "I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space

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