A Look into how SpaceX’s Crew Dragon brought Shubhanshu Shukla and Crew Back to Earth: Explained
By R Anil Kumar
Bengaluru. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, named Grace, has brought Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his Axiom-4 crewmates safely back to Earth after nearly 20 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The return process involved several carefully coordinated steps that ensured a controlled and safe descent culminating in a splashdown off the coast of California.
After completing their mission, Dragon capsule autonomously undocked from the ISS, beginning with the release of docking mechanisms and a gentle push away from the station. Following undocking, the spacecraft performed a series of thruster burns to increase its distance from the ISS and enter an independent orbit.
Over the next approximately 23 hours, Grace conducted orbital phasing manoeuvres to gradually lower its orbit in preparation for re-entry. As it approaches Earth, the capsule will jettison its trunk section—which houses solar panels and radiators—allowing the capsule to prepare for the critical deorbit burn. This burn involves firing the engines to slow the spacecraft and initiate its descent into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Upon atmospheric entry, the capsule encounters intense frictional heating, with exterior temperatures reaching about 2000 degrees Celsius. The capsule’s heat shield, made from specialized alloys and materials designed to withstand extreme heat, protects the crew inside.
As the capsule slows down through the atmosphere, it will deploy a sequence of parachutes to ensure a safe landing speed. First, two drogue parachutes will deploy at around 5,000 meters altitude to stabilize the descent. Following that, four main parachutes will open to further reduce the speed to approximately 25 km/h, enabling a controlled splashdown in the ocean.
The splashdown happened as scheduled for around 3:01 pm IST off the California coast. Recovery teams promptly secured the capsule and assisted the astronauts. After safely exiting the capsule, Shubhanshu Shukla and his crewmates underwent medical checkups and a period of acclimatization lasting at least for 10 days to help them readjust to Earth’s gravity.
While the entire descent process is highly automated using the latest SpaceX technology, Shukla, as the designated mission pilot, was well trained to manually take control if any system failure was to occur during the return journey.
This mission marks a historic milestone for India, with Shukla being the first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian in space overall, returning aboard SpaceX’s advanced Crew Dragon system that exemplifies modern human spaceflight capabilities.
