Washington, July 16 (IANS) Private American company Axiom Space on Wednesday informed that it celebrated the arrival of the Ax4 mission back in Texas.

“Yesterday, Axiom Space leaders celebrated the arrival of #Ax4 back in Texas,” the American company posted on X.

The 20-day mission, led by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA, SpaceX, and other government space agencies, including ISRO, was launched to the ISS on June 26.

Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS).

Shukla returned to Earth on Tuesday along with fellow astronauts from the US, Poland, and Hungary aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Grace”.

Lucknow-born Shukla was included in the astronaut selection process by ISRO in 2019 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 announced from the Red Fort that a son or daughter of India would go to space very soon.

In January 2025, the 39-year-old astronaut was selected as the pilot for the Ax-4 mission — a collaborative mission between NASA and ISRO.

The IAF officer became the youngest astronaut-designate under India’s Gaganyaan mission — the country’s first human spaceflight mission.

Speaking to IANS in March, Shukla said he hopes to use his “journey to inspire this entire generation to pursue their careers in the field of space,” as he “was extremely inspired and motivated” by Rakesh Sharma.

On the Ax-4 mission, Shukla served as the pilot alongside Commander Peggy Whitson of the US.

On the ISS, Shukla conducted seven pioneering experiments related to food and space nutrition that aimed to enhance understanding of sustainable life-support systems, a crucial aspect of future long-duration space travel.

Shukla’s mission is not only an inspiration for billions of Indians but also a key stepping stone for India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, slated for 2027.

–IANS

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