SpaceX's Dragon Grace Prepares for Historic Return with Ax-4 Crew from ISS

The hatch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft 'Grace' is now closed, marking the final steps before the undocking of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) crew from the International Space Station (ISS). This comes after nearly 20 days in orbit. The spacecraft's departure is scheduled for approximately 4:35 PM IST today.

Notably, the mission includes Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS, who is set to pilot the spacecraft. All preparations for departure are on track, with undocking expected around 6:45 am EDT or 4:15 PM IST and the actual undocking projected at 7:05 am EDT or 4:30 PM IST.

After re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, the Dragon Grace plans to splashdown off California's coast in the Pacific Ocean by approximately 3 PM IST on Tuesday, July 15, concluding a 22.5-hour journey. During a farewell event, ISS Commander Takuya Onishi commended the crew's contributions, highlighting the camaraderie and collaborative effort on the ISS.

Commander Whitson expressed gratitude for the enriching experience, accentuating the friendships and knowledge shared during the mission. Earlier, Group Captain Shukla, resonating with cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma's iconic sentiment, remarked how India remains uniquely splendid amidst the global landscape.

The Ax-4 crew, including Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA astronaut Slawosz 'Suave' Uznanski-Wisniewski, and HUNOR astronaut Tibor Kapu, actively engaged in scientific research during their tenure on the ISS. The Dragon spacecraft's return also brings back over 580 pounds of cargo, featuring NASA hardware and data from more than 60 experiments.

Launched on June 25 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Centre, the Dragon docked with the ISS on June 26, ahead of schedule, reinforcing the mission's success. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)