India looks full of ambition from space: Shubhanshu Shukla in ISS farewell speech

India looks full of ambition—fearless, confident and full of pride—from space, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla said on Sunday (July 13) at a farewell ceremony for Axiom-4 mission astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS). They are set to begin their return journey to Earth on Monday.

“Even today, Bharat looks ‘saare jahan se achchha’ from above,” Shukla said reprising the iconic words of Rakesh Sharma, India’s first astronaut to take a spaceflight, in 1984.

“It almost seems magical to me... It has been a fantastic journey for me,” Shukla said of his stay at the ISS which began on June 26.

The Indian astronaut said he was taking with him a lot of memories and learning that he will share with his countrymen.

Also read: 'Microgravity', 'gajar halwa': What Shubhanshu Shukla, PM Modi discussed in 18-min chat

Home on Tuesday

After 18 days of intense science experiments at the ISS, the Axiom 4 (Ax-4) crew—Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu “Shux” Shukla, and Mission Specialists Slawosz “Suave” Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu—are preparing to undock no earlier than 7.05 am ET (4.35 pm IST) on Monday.

The Axiom-4 mission is expected to splash down off the California coast on Tuesday.

“Arrival back to earth.... splash down scheduled for 15th July at 3:00 PM IST,” Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said in a post on X.

Gala feast

As the Axiom-4 mission drew to a close, astronauts on board the ISS gathered for a feast with a diverse menu from the six nations they represent.

Currently, there are 11 astronauts on the ISS, seven of Expedition 73 and four of the Axiom-4 commercial mission.

“One of the most unforgettable evenings I’ve experienced on this mission was sharing a meal with new friends, Ax-4, aboard the International @Space_Station,” US astronaut Jonny Kim said in a post on X last week.

Also read: Shubhanshu Shukla studies muscle loss in microgravity on board ISS

“We swapped stories and marvelled at how people from diverse backgrounds and nations came together to represent humanity in space,” he said.

For appetisers, the astronauts made rehydrated shrimp cocktails and crackers and the main course featured savoury chicken and beef fajitas. The cosmonauts capped the night with a delicious cake made from sweet bread, condensed milk, and walnuts, Kim said.

Shukla had got aam ras and carrot halwa for the feast, while Polish astronaut Slawosz had brought his native dish, pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms, to the ISS.

18 days in space

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 Rakesh Sharma’s pathbreaking spaceflight as part of the then Soviet Russia’s mission to Salyut-7 space station in 1984.

Shukla has spent 18 days in space, witnessing 16 sunrises and sunsets every day as the ISS travels at a speed of 28,000 km per hour in an orbit about 400 km above the Earth.

According to ISRO, post-splashdown, Shukla will undergo a rehabilitation programme (about seven days) under the supervision of a flight surgeon to adapt back to Earth’s gravity.

ISRO paid about Rs 550 crore for Shukla’s travel to the ISS, an experience that will help the space agency plan and execute its human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, set to take to orbit in 2027.

Also read: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla answers students' queries from ISS

Microalgae experiment

Shukla and the three other astronauts are expected to board the spacecraft at 2.25 pm IST, wear their space suits and carry out the necessary tests before they begin their journey to the Earth.

“The Dragon spacecraft will return with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted throughout the mission,” NASA said.

During his stay at the ISS, Shukla worked on the microalgae experiment, deploying and stowing samples that could one day provide food, oxygen and biofuels for deep-space missions, Axiom Space said in a statement.

The resilience of the microalgae makes them a promising asset to sustain life beyond Earth, it added.

“Exercise research and spacesuit maintenance topped the schedule for the Expedition 73 and Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crews on Thursday,” the NASA statement said.

What crew studied

The crew also continued the Voyager Displays study, which examines how spaceflight affects eye movement and coordination.

The crew collected data for a study to explore how astronauts perceive and interact with their environment in orbit, which is critical for designing mentally supportive habitats for long-duration missions.

Another study focused on cerebral blood flow, investigating how microgravity and elevated carbon dioxide levels affect cardiovascular function, which could later benefit both astronauts and patients on Earth.

Also read: Shubhanshu Shukla studies bone health, radiation exposure on ISS

Radiation exposure was monitored using the compact Rad Nano Dosimeter, a tool to assess astronaut safety.

The crew participated in the Acquired Equivalence Test, a cognitive experiment that measures learning and adaptability in space and supported the PhotonGrav study by collecting brain activity data to explore neuroadaptive technologies for space and medical applications.

(With agency inputs)