Four Astronauts Return to Earth After Historic International Space Station Mission

On: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 1:20 PM

---Advertisement---

Historic International Space Station Mission: Four astronauts, including a former Nasa retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson and crew mates from India, Poland, and Hungary, left the International Space Station early Monday morning. They are now on their way back to Earth, marking the end of their 18-day mission aboard the orbital laboratory.

The Crew Dragon capsule, carrying the quartet, undocked from the ISS at 7.15am ET. This mission, organized by Texas-based Axiom Space in partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is set to conclude with the capsule’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Tuesday around 5.30am ET (9.30am GMT).

Mission Details and Crew

The Axiom-4 mission, dubbed “Grace” by its crew, launched from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 25. It marks the fifth vehicle in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon fleet and the 18th crewed spaceflight by the company since 2020.

The multinational team was led by Peggy Whitson, 65, who has a storied career with Nasa, including being the first female chief astronaut and the first woman to command an ISS expedition. Her three Axiom crew mates are Shubhanshu Shukla, 39, from India, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, 41, from Poland, and Tibor Kapu, 33, from Hungary.

Significance of the Mission

For India, Poland, and Hungary, this launch represents a historic milestone as it’s the first human spaceflight in over 40 years and the first mission to send astronauts from their respective government space programs to the ISS. The crew spent their time conducting numerous research experiments in microgravity, contributing to scientific advancements.

Axiom Space, co-founded by a former Nasa ISS program manager, is working on developing a commercial space station to eventually replace the ISS, which Nasa plans to retire around 2030. This mission is part of their ongoing efforts to facilitate private and international space exploration.

Return Journey and Splashdown

After undocking, the Crew Dragon capsule performed a couple of brief rocket thrusts to safely clear the ISS, which was orbiting about 260 miles (418 km) above the east coast of India. The capsule is now on a 22-hour return flight, set to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and parachute into the Pacific Ocean.

This journey not only highlights the advancements in private space travel but also underscores the growing international collaboration in space exploration. As the astronauts prepare for their splashdown, the world watches with anticipation, celebrating another step forward in humanity’s reach for the stars.