US, India, Poland, Hungary Astronauts Head Home
Axiom Mission 4 Returns to Earth in Harmony with Dragon
June 26, 2025 — A screen capture from a NASA+ broadcast reveals the Axiom Mission 4 crew inside the International Space Station’s Harmony module just after docking to SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. The capsule, carrying a four‑nation crew from India, Poland, Hungary and the United States, has now departed the ISS and is headed for a Pacific splashdown.
Timeline of the Return Journey
- 7:15 am ET (11:15 GMT) — Ax‑4 undocked from the Harmony module.
- 22.5‑hour transit back to Earth.
- 5:31 am ET (09:31 GMT) — scheduled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.
Commander Peggy Whitson, an Axiom employee and former NASA astronaut, thanked flight controllers in Houston, saying, “Thank you very much for your support. You guys are amazing.” She was joined by pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski‑Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Axiom Space: A Private Player in Crew Missions
Axiom Space organizes trips to the ISS, flying both affluent tourists and astronauts sponsored by national governments. The non‑American trio saw their mission mark a return to crewed spaceflight after decades‑long absences.
Two‑And‑a‑Half‑Week of Scientific Work
The crew launched from Kennedy Space Center on June 25, conducting around 60 experiments during their stay. For India, the flight serves as a pivotal stepping stone toward its first independent crewed mission, scheduled for 2027 under the Gaganyaan program.
Soft Power Moment for India
Shukla held a video call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, viewed by many as a significant soft‑power moment. He recounted sharing the sweet dish gajar ka halwa with his crewmates aboard the station.
SpaceX’s Second Pacific Splashdown
SpaceX has now completed its second crew recovery in the Pacific Ocean. The first occurred in April with the return of the Fram‑2 mission. The company has permanently shifted to West Coast splashdowns due to incidents where Dragon’s trunk survived atmospheric reentry and crashed back to Earth.
