Indian Air Force test pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station on June 26 as he and three other astronauts entered the orbital laboratory after the docking of their spacecraft at the end of a 28-hour journey around the earth.
Axiom-4 Mission: Shukla To Study Crop Viability, Muscle Degeneration At International Space Station | All About It
Shubhanshu Shukla and the other astronauts will conduct scientific experiments and interact with people on Earth from the ISS, he said, "The next 14 days will be exciting" at the formal welcome ceremony at the ISS.
Veteran Astronaut Peggy Whitson is the commander of Axiom-4 mission and the other members of the mission includes Polish engineer Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a mission specialist and a European Space Agency project astronaut, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer and the mission specialist.
Shukla and the other astronauts will conduct scientific experiments and interact with people on Earth from the ISS, he said, "The next 14 days will be exciting" at the formal welcome ceremony at the ISS.
Experiments In Shubhanshu Shukla's 14-Day Schedule In Space
This trip to space is not only iconic for India but it also aims to help Indian Space Research Organisation to lead certain scientific experiments that include crop viability in microgravity to biological resilience in extreme environments.
This collaboration between NASA and ISRO serves as a pathway to India's upcoming manned Gaganyaan mission.
The experiments scheduled to take place -
Understanding the method used by astronauts to use screens, track eye movements and handle stress in zero gravity.
In the crop viability experiment, six varieties of seeds have been carried in space to track their sprouting behavior in that unique environment for assess genetic and nutritional changes.
They will also be researching on cyanobacteria and microalgae to track their viability for use in life support and food systems.
As humans face muscle degeneration when in space, a study will be conducted to identify biological pathways and potential countermeasures.
Another experiment includes testing resilient organisms for survival and gene activity in space.
Shukla is also expected to engage in a live interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the mission.
Other Experiments
This Axiom mission has been contributed by ESA (Europe), NASA, and Hungary’s HUNOR programme for the experiments to be conducted.
According to Times Of India report, the Polish experiments will investigate neurofeedback, gut microbiome changes, and wearable health tech, while
Meanhwile, Hungary astronaut will explore cognition, motor skills, and even fruit fly resilience.
ISS is being used as a laboratory by each of the partner nations for future space experiments.
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