Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Gaganyatri will carry out a series of shortlisted microgravity research experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during the upcoming Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, according to an official statement from ISRO.
The Axiom-4 mission, scheduled for launch on June 8, will be piloted by Gaganyatri Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is set to travel to the ISS. ISRO has selected seven microgravity experiments proposed by Indian Principal Investigators (PIs) from various national research and development laboratories and academic institutions for execution aboard the ISS as part of the Ax-4 mission.
Microgravity research presents valuable opportunities for advancements in fields such as human health, physical and life sciences, material science, pharmaceutical development, and biotechnology. The selected studies include investigations into the impact of microgravity and ISS radiation on edible microalgae, the sprouting of salad seeds in space and its relevance to crew nutrition, the survival, revival, reproduction, and transcriptomic analysis of the eutardigrade Paramacrobiotus sp. BLR strain in space, and the effect of metabolic supplements on muscle regeneration under microgravity. Other experiments will examine human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity and the influence of microgravity on the growth and yield of food crop seeds.
These experiments are designed to utilize existing research facilities on board the ISS. Given the safety-focused operational philosophy and other mission-related constraints of human spaceflight, the shortlisted experiments are currently undergoing rigorous evaluations and reviews on the ground prior to launch.
According to ISRO, the experience gained from executing these experiments will help nurture a microgravity research ecosystem in India, enabling the inclusion of more advanced microgravity studies in future missions of the Indian Space Programme.
The Ax-4 mission marks a historic milestone as it includes the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will become the first ISRO astronaut to travel to the ISS and the second Indian to go to space after Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. IAF Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair has been designated as the backup pilot for the Ax-4 mission in the event Shukla is unable to fly.
Alongside Shukla, the Ax-4 crew will include two mission specialists: European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The mission will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and the current Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space.
ANI
