ISRO's Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla to Lead Microgravity Research on ISS During Axiom-4 Mission

Gaganyaan's Role in Axiom-4 Mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the Gaganyaan mission will facilitate selected research experiments focused on microgravity aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the upcoming Axiom-4 mission.

Scheduled for June 8, the Axiom-4 mission will be piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who will lead the Gaganyatri team to the ISS. ISRO has identified seven microgravity research projects proposed by Indian Principal Investigators (PIs) from various national research and development laboratories and academic institutions for this mission.

Microgravity research holds promise for various applications, including human health, physical and life sciences, material studies, innovative pharmaceutical development, and biotechnology, providing significant opportunities for the national scientific community. One of the research topics will explore the effects of microgravity radiation on edible microalgae.

The experiments include sprouting salad seeds in space to assess their relevance to crew nutrition, studying the survival and reproduction of the eutardigrade Paramacrobiotus sp. BLR strain in microgravity, and evaluating the effects of metabolic supplements on muscle regeneration in such conditions. Other studies will analyze human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity and the impact on growth and yield parameters of food crop seeds.

These experiments are designed to utilize the research facilities available on the ISS. Given the safety protocols and operational constraints of human spaceflight missions, these selected microgravity experiments are undergoing rigorous evaluations and reviews prior to launch. The insights gained from these experiments will help develop a microgravity research ecosystem in India, paving the way for advanced microgravity studies in various fields within the Indian Space Programme.

The Axiom-4 mission will mark a historic moment as it will be the first time an Indian astronaut visits the ISS. Shubhanshu Shukla will become the first astronaut from ISRO to reach the station, collaborating with NASA. He will also be the second Indian astronaut to travel to space since Rakesh Sharma, who was the first to do so in 1984 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair has been appointed as the backup pilot for the Ax-4 mission.

In addition to Shukla, the Ax-4 mission will include two mission specialists: Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, who will also stay on the ISS. The mission will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and current director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space.