Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), is preparing to return to Earth after the successful mission named Akash Ganga, marking a historic milestone in India's space mission.
Shubhamshu Shukla and three other crew members launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25. They arrived at the space station on June 26. If the weather is favorable for landing, the Dragon capsule piloted by Shubhamshu will safely land in water on July 15. The landing may occur at 3:00 PM Indian time on July 15, 2025.
The separation of the Dragon spacecraft carrying Shubhamshu and three other astronauts will occur on July 14, 2025, at 4:30 PM Indian time. After making some maneuvers in the upper orbit of the Earth, this spacecraft will land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, USA. After landing in the water, it will have to undergo a seven-day rehabilitation program, which is extremely important for adapting to Earth's gravity.
NASA's broadcast will begin on July 14 at 1-1:30 PM Indian time, when the hatch (spacecraft door) will close. After that, at 4:55 AM, the team will enter the spacecraft and the hatch will close. Coverage of this spacecraft will begin at 6:45 PM on NASA+, Axiom Space, and SpaceX channels. The team will separate at 7:05 PM. NASA's broadcast will end in about 30 minutes. After that, Axiom Space will broadcast the spacecraft's splashdown on their website.