Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to perform at least seven scientific experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during his upcoming 14-day mission next month. This will mark India’s return to space after nearly four decades, as Shukla becomes the second Indian to venture beyond Earth since 1984.
Shukla will journey on board the Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4) with US, Hungarian, and Polish astronauts. The mission is jointly undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), NASA, and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Water Bears in Space
Perhaps the most striking Ax-4 experiment involves the utilization of the tiny, resilient animal known as tardigrades, or ‘water bears’. These animals, which have been around for more than 600 million years, are famous for surviving some of the toughest conditions on the planet. The astronauts will study how these animals adapt to space by comparing their gene expression under space conditions with that on Earth.
Axiom Space said the research may bring biotechnology breakthroughs and guide future space exploration by expanding our knowledge of life on hostile environments.
Food production in Space
Shukla’s mission will also investigate sustainable food production in space. One experiment, “Space Microalgae,” will look at how microgravity affects the growth, metabolism, and genetic behavior of three types of edible microalgae. Carried out together by ISRO, NASA, and Redwire, the research can open the way for nutrient-rich, space-cultivated food on long missions.
ISRO is collaborating with NASA and BioServe Space Technologies on another project for the “Sprouting Salad Seeds in Space” experiment. The study will investigate how seeds germinate and grow in a microgravity environment. Through studying the change in genetics, nutritional content, and microbial load over generations of plants, the study aims to provide food security to future astronauts.
Usage of Digital Screens in Space
Apart from biological experiments, the Ax-4 mission will also examine how astronauts utilize digital screens in space. This entails examining the cognitive and physical requirements of computer screen utilization in a weightless environment, a major component of optimizing human-computer interaction for long-duration missions.
All these experiments in total will not only solidify India’s position in global space research but also improve the overall understanding of life sciences and sustainability in space.
