After 18 days of intense science experiments at the International Space Station, it is time for farewells and feasts for Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission who are set to begin their return journey to Earth on Monday.The Axiom 4 (Ax-4) crew—Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu “Shux” Shukla, and Mission Specialists Slawosz “Suave” Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu—are nearing the completion of their research and preparing to undock no earlier than at 7:05 am ET (4:35 pm IST) on Monday.
“Arrival back to earth…. splash down scheduled for 15th July at 3:00 PM IST,” Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said in a post on X.
A formal farewell for the Axiom-4 crew is scheduled for Sunday evening, India time.
As the Axiom-4 mission drew to a close, astronauts on board the ISS gathered for a feast with a diverse menu from the six nations they represent.
Currently, there are 11 astronauts on the ISS, seven of Expedition 73 and four of the Axiom-4 commercial mission.
“One of the most unforgettable evenings I’ve experienced on this mission was sharing a meal with new friends, Ax-4, aboard the International @Space_Station,” US astronaut Jonny Kim said in a post on X last week.
“We swapped stories and marvelled at how people from diverse backgrounds and nations came together to represent humanity in space,” he said.
For appetisers, the astronauts made rehydrated shrimp cocktails and crackers and the main course featured savoury chicken and beef fajitas. The cosmonauts capped the night with a delicious cake made from sweet bread, condensed milk, and walnuts, Kim said.