Space
Axiom-4 crew return
▪ The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego at 3:01 p.m. IST (2:31 a.m. PT) on July 15, 2025.
▪ The crew spent 18 days on the International Space Station conducting 60 scientific studies across 31 countries.
▪ Shukla became the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma (1984)
▪ Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) via a private spaceflight, marking a significant milestone in India’s space diplomacy and future missions.
▪ India has completed the human-rating of its HLVM3 rocket and continues progress on its
indigenous crew module for Gaganyaan.
▪ The mission strengthens India’s Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) space ambitions and contributes to
international collaboration in space exploration.
▪ ISRO’s 7 Studies
✓ Tissue regeneration, seed germination, blue-green algae cultivation, radiation effects, human
physiology, including microgravity and water bubbles – Shukla successfully conducted seven
major microgravity-related studies provided by ISRO.
✓ He has brought back green gram (mung bean) and fenugreek seeds that sprouted in space,
along with other samples.
✓ These seeds are set to undergo various studies in the next phase.
▪ Axiom 4 –Launched on June 25, 2025 (Falcon 9, Kennedy Space Center, USA)
