After 18 days at International Space Station, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has embarked on his journey back from the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying Shukla, has successfully undocked from the ISS after the hatch between the spacecraft and the station was securely closed. The Dragon spacecraft undocked from the ISS after performing two separation burns to physically distance itself from the station. Following this, it executed the first of four planned departure burns, known as 'Depart Burn Zero', to move further away from the ISS. Five minutes later, it conducted a second departure burn to ensure it cleared the keep-out sphere, a 200-meter zone surrounding the ISS designed to keep arriving and departing spacecraft at a safe distance. The spacecraft successfully exited the approach ellipsoid—a protective 3D boundary around the station—after 13 minutes of flight.
Following this undocking, the crew is expected to splash down off the coast of California about 22.5 hours later, around 4:31 AM CT (3:01 PM IST) on Tuesday, July 15. According to a statement from NASA, the Dragon will bring back over 580 pounds of cargo, which includes NASA hardware and valuable data gathered from more than 60 experiments conducted during the mission.
Recovery program for the crew
After the splashdown, Shukla will begin a recovery program lasting about seven days. This rehabilitation will be overseen by a medical expert to help him readjust to Earth's gravity. Additionally, NASA confirmed that the Dragon spacecraft is set to return with significant research materials, further emphasizing the mission's contributions to science.
Microalgae experiments
Shukla took part in a project focused on tiny plants called microalgae. He worked on collecting and storing these samples, which could potentially provide food, oxygen, and fuel for future missions into space. Axiom Space highlighted the strong nature of these microalgae, explaining that they could play a crucial role in helping humans live in environments beyond our planet.
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