Axiom-4 mission: Shubhanshu Shukla, crew members prepare to leave ISS

Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu, are preparing to leave the International Space Station (ISS) after spending 18 days in the orbiting laboratory.

Shukla and Commander Peggy Whitson are inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft which is targeted to autonomously undock at 4.35 p.m. IST.

The NASA said “At 5:07 a.m. EDT [2:37 p.m. IST], the hatch closed between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for the undocking and return to Earth of Axiom Mission 4 [Ax-4], with astronauts Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu.”