Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Prepares for Return from ISS with Rehabilitation Program

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation program following his expected splashdown off the coast of California after an 18-day sojourn at the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla, along with three other astronauts, was part of the commercial Axiom-4 mission, which docked at the ISS on June 26.

The crew, including commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu, plans to undock from the ISS on July 14, as stated by NASA. The Crew Dragon spacecraft is set to splash down on July 15, bringing back over 580 pounds of cargo, NASA hardware, and data from over 60 experiments carried out during the mission.

ISRO invested Rs 550 crore in Shukla's travel, which is vital for the Gaganyaan mission, India's human spaceflight initiative. The mission included experiments like microalgae deployment, which could provide food and oxygen for deep-space missions and studies on spaceflight effects on cerebral blood flow and eye movement.

(With inputs from agencies.)