Axiom‑4 Mission to Undock from the ISS

 

Axiom‑4’s four‑member crew is preparing to depart the International Space Station after nearly three weeks in orbit. The private mission, involving Axiom Space, SpaceX, NASA, ISRO, ESA, and Hungary’s space office, lifted off on June 25 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and docked on June 26. The Dragon capsule "Grace" is scheduled to undock from the Harmony module at approximately 7:05 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 14 (4:35 p.m. IST), weather permitting Wikipedia+15The Indian Express+15The Times of India+15.

Hundreds of experiments have been conducted: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu “Shux” Shukla has completed four of seven ISRO‑led microgravity projects—ranging from micro‑algae and sprouts to radiation and bone‑health studies—with the remaining three nearing completion NASA+15The Economic Times+15The Times of India+15. The mission also featured biomedical, materials‑science, and behavioral health investigations, as well as student experiments from Brazil and Nigeria NASA+1Axiom Space+1.

In celebration of their achievements, NASA and the ISS Expedition 73 crew held a farewell ceremony aboard the station on July 13 at 7:25 p.m. IST ahead of undocking The Times of India+8Axiom Space+8The Economic Times+8. Coverage of hatch‑closing and undocking will be streamed live via NASA+ and the Axiom/SpaceX platforms, beginning early Monday NASA+5NASA+5spacepolicyonline.com+5.

Following undocking, Dragon Grace is expected to splash down off the coast of California around 5:30 a.m. EDT (3 p.m. IST) on Tuesday, July 15, with a one‑hour landing margin The Indian Express. Upon return, Shukla will undergo a standard seven‑day readjustment period to Earth’s gravity Indiatimes+12indiatoday.in+12The Times of India+12.

Axiom‑4 marks India’s first ISS mission and second-ever government‑sponsored human spaceflight, alongside the first ISS visits by Poland and Hungary after decades Wikipedia+1Indiatimes+1. Featuring over 60 experiments from a consortium of nations, the mission reinforces the growing private‑public partnerships pushing commercial low‑Earth orbit capabilities and supporting future deep‑space exploration The Economic Times+5Axiom Space+5NASA+5.