After spending more than two weeks aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and his Axiom-4 (Ax-4) crewmates are likely scheduled to return to Earth on July 14, according to an official update from NASA on Thursday.
“We are working with the station program, watching the Axiom-4 progress carefully. I think we need to undock that mission and the current target to undock is July 14,” said Steve Stitch, Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, during a press conference.
The Axiom-4 mission lifted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 25, and the Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS on June 26 following a 28-hour journey.
The four-member crew—Shubhanshu Shukla, veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Tibor Kapu—have so far witnessed 230 sunrises aboard the ISS and covered a distance of nearly 100 lakh kilometres in orbit.
Axiom Space, in a statement released Thursday, noted that the crew has used their free time to capture images and videos of Earth, enjoy the views from 250 miles above, and stay connected with loved ones. “These moments offer a rare pause in an otherwise rigorous daily schedule,” the statement read.
During their time on the space station, the crew has been engaged in advancing scientific research, testing cutting-edge technologies, and participating in global outreach initiatives, Axiom Space added.