Day after docking, Shubhanshu Shukla and his Axiom-4 crew launch into intensive space research

A day after docking with the International Space Station (ISS), the four-member crew of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission—including Indian Air Force officer Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla—has commenced a rigorous schedule of scientific experiments as part of their two-week mission in low Earth orbit.

“On Friday, Ax-4 quickly got to work unloading sample-packed hardware and portable science freezers from inside Dragon for installation in station incubators and research refrigerators ahead of upcoming experiments,” NASA stated in an update posted on Saturday morning.

“Station safety hardware was also temporarily transferred inside Dragon as is customary for visiting spacecraft. The private astronaut quartet later joined the Expedition-73 crew for more safety reviews to learn their roles and responsibilities and communication protocols with mission controllers in the unlikely event of an emergency on the orbital outpost,” the post added.

The Ax-4 crew had docked their Dragon C-213 spacecraft with the ISS at about 4.15 pm IST on June 26, and entered the space station about two hours later to meet up with the seven residents of the station who form part of Expedition-73.

“The Ax-4 and Exp 73 crews are now living and working together aboard the orbital outpost and preparing for new space research and the departure of a cargo ship,” the ISS official handle posted in the wee hours of Saturday.

The Ax-4 mission was launched on June 25 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida by a Falcon-9 rocket, which had propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit for a 28-hour journey to reach the ISS. The mission is being executed jointly by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a US government agency, SpaceX and Axiom Space, both of which are private space technology firms.

Shukla, an Indian Air Force fighter pilot and test pilot who goes by the call-sign ‘Shux”, was the pilot of the Dragon spacecraft as it orbited the Earth several times to meet up with the ISS at an altitude of about 420 kms and at a speed of over 26,000 kmph.

Other members of the crew include the mission commander, Peggy Whitson, among US’ most experienced astronauts and commander of Axiom-2, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a scientist from Poland and Tibor Kapu, an engineer from Hungary.

The crew will undertake around 60 scientific studies and activities covering a wide range of topics such as medical support for diabetic astronauts, effects of microgravity on the brain and body, and the collection of vital health data.

The impact of space travel on joints, blood flow, stem cells, cancer growth, and radiation exposure are other areas of research. This is expected to enhance global knowledge in human research, Earth observation, biological and material sciences.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which has an expansive programme on space research, including proposed manned missions and launching a space station, is focusing on advancing microgravity research aboard the ISS to enhance understanding of biological processes in microgravity and develop strategies for long-duration space missions.

Shukla’s research agenda includes investigating physical and cognitive impact of computer screens in microgravity, studying growth, metabolism and genetics of three microalgae strains in microgravity as compared to that on Earth and comparing growth, cellular responses and biochemistry of two cyano-bacteria strains in microgravity.

Also on his schedule are identifying pathways of skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and exploring therapies, examining spaceflight impacts on six crop seed varieties, investigating the impacts of spaceflight on germination and growth of crop seeds and identifying molecular mechanisms of resilience in extreme environments. His experience in manned space flight would be an important element in the research, planning and execution of the programme.