The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission crew, including Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, will undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14, four days later than originally planned, according to an official update from Axiom Space.
Undocking now set for July 14
Axiom Space confirmed in a post on X that the Ax-4 crew is scheduled to begin their return journey no earlier than 7:05 am ET (4:30 pm IST) on Monday.
“The #Ax4 crew is scheduled to undock from the @Space_Station no earlier than Monday, July 14, at 7:05 a.m. ET,” the company stated. The crew had initially been slated to return to Earth on July 10, but weather and mission logistics led to an extension of their stay on the ISS, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).
Launch, docking and mission timeline
The Ax-4 mission launched on June 25 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS on June 26 at 4:05 pm IST, ahead of schedule, linking with the Harmony module’s space-facing port.
The crew comprises Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu “Shux” Shukla, and Mission Specialists Slawosz “Suave” Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu.
Focus on space research and microgravity experiments
Over the past few days, the Ax-4 team has conducted a wide range of experiments in microgravity. According to Axiom Space’s blog post on Tuesday, the activities have contributed significantly to “scientific studies, testing new technologies, and continuing global outreach efforts in space exploration.”
Among the key contributions, Group Captain Shukla conducted three scientific experiments aboard the ISS.
In one instance, he worked on a sprouts project to examine how microgravity affects germination and early plant development. “On return to Earth, the seeds will be cultivated over several generations to examine changes in their genetics, microbial ecosystems, and nutritional profiles,” Axiom noted.
In another experiment, Shukla handled the deployment and stowage of microalgae, which are being evaluated for their use in producing food, oxygen, and even biofuels in long-duration space missions. “Their resilience and versatility make them ideal for supporting human life on long-duration missions,” Axiom Space’s blog observed.
