Indian scientist in Florida to help Shukla conduct experiments aboard space station

Eyeing a successful Axiom-4 mission, the government is extending all help to Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla to ensure that all seven scientific experiments by India on the International Space Station (ISS) are a success.

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A scientist from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is already in Florida for its three experiments. “Our person is there to assist Shukla in carrying out the experiments smoothly. Of the seven experiments which he will conduct, three are from the department,” a DBT official said. The first experiment aims to study the impact of microgravity conditions in ISS on the growth of edible microalgae.

The study will help identify the most robust and suitable microalgal species to be grown in space for future in developing strategies to incorporate self-sustainable systems for extended space missions, a scientist said.

The second experiment involves studying the effect of growth and responses of cyanobacteria growing on urea in microgravity. For longer space programme, it is essential to have a source for generating oxygen. Due to its fast growth, cyanobacteria are the best biological agents for carbon recycling. Cyanobacteria can also utilise urea — a major component of human urine, as a nitrogen source.

The third experiment is about studying the effect of metabolic supplement on muscle regeneration under microgravity. One of the primary effects of microgravity on astronauts is the loss of muscle mass and a decline in the ability of muscle cells to regenerate. As part of this effort, the investigators are implementing muscle repair experiments.