Shubhanshu Shukla Return Time: When Is The Indian Astronaut Landing On Earth Today?

Last Updated:July 15, 2025, 09:57 IST

Shubhanshu Shukla Earth Landing Time: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will land back on Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla aboard the International Space Station (Photo: PTI)

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is on track to return to Earth with a splashdown off San Diego in California on Tuesday, capping a 22.5-hour journey after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station. The Axiom-4 mission marked the return to space for India, Poland and Hungary after over four decades.

The Dragon ‘Grace’ spacecraft carrying Shukla, commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, undocked from the space station at 4.45 pm IST on Monday.

The four astronauts are expected to spend seven days in rehabilitation as they adjust back to life on Earth under the influence of gravity, unlike the weightlessness experienced in orbit.

WHAT TIME WILL SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA LAND ON EARTH?

According to SpaceX, Dragon and the Axiom Ax-4 crew are on track to reenter Earth’s atmosphere and splash down off the coast of San Diego at 2.31 pm PT on Tuesday.

As per the Indian time zone, Shukla would splash down at 3.01 pm IST.

It said the spacecraft will also announce its arrival with a brief sonic boom before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

The de-orbit burn is expected to take place at 2.07 pm IST over the Pacific Ocean as the spacecraft re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.

Final preparations include detaching the capsule’s trunk (at 2.26 pm IST) and orienting the heat shield ahead of atmospheric entry, which will expose the spacecraft to temperatures nearing 1,600 degrees Celsius.

Parachutes will deploy in two stages, first stabilising chutes at about 5.7 km altitude at 2.57 pm IST, followed by the main parachutes at roughly two km before splashdown.

The spacecraft will be hauled up on a special recovery ship, where the astronauts will be brought out from the capsule.

SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA BACK ON EARTH: WHAT NEXT?

As soon as the Axiom-4 crew splashes down, it will undergo a series of medical checks on board the ship before boarding a helicopter for a ride back to the shore.

The four astronauts are expected to spend seven days in rehabilitation as they adjust back to life on Earth under the influence of gravity, unlike the weightlessness experienced in orbit.

Shukla, who became the second Indian astronaut to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 odyssey, said at the farewell ceremony onboard the ISS on Sunday that he would soon meet on Earth.

“Jaldi hi dharti pe mulaqat karte hai."

On Sunday, Shukla recalled the time when his icon Rakesh Sharma had travelled to space 41 years ago and described how India looked from there.

It has been a historic trip for Shukla, who became the first Indian to travel to the ISS and only the second to travel to space after Sharma’s pathbreaking spaceflight as part of the then Soviet Union’s mission to Salyut-7 space station in 1984.

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Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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