Historic ISS Mission: India’s First Astronaut to Lead Microgravity Studies

India’s space scientific efforts have advanced significantly with ISRO’s announcement that the Gaganyatri astronaut will conduct several microgravity research experiments on the ISS as part of the next Axiom-4 mission.

Launch Date

On June 8, Gaganyatri Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will pilot the Axiom-4 mission (Axe-4) to the International Space Station (ISS).

ISRO’s Ax-4 Mission Microgravity Experiments

In preparation for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission with its Gaganyatri, the ISRO has selected seven microgravity research experiments that Indian Principal Investigators (PIs) from various national research and development laboratories and academic institutions have proposed for deployment on the ISS.

The study examines how edible microalgae are affected by the ISS’s microgravity radiation. Analysis of human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity; survival, revival, reproduction, and transcriptome of the eutardigrade Paramacrobiotus sp. BLR strain in space; impact of microgravity on growth and yield parameters in food crop seeds; and the effect of metabolic supplements on muscle regeneration

The Axiom-4 expedition shortlists seven Indian experiments

Seven microgravity research experiments have been shortlisted by ISRO for the Axiom-4 mission. Principal Investigators (PIs) from Indian academic institutions and national research and development labs made these suggestions. Human health, the physical and biological sciences, material science, the creation of new pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology are only a few of the many topics that are covered in the experiments. This is a significant step forward for Indian microgravity research.

A Significant Turning Point for India

The first-ever Indian visit to the International Space Station will take place on the next Axiom-4 mission with ISRO’s Gaganyatri. In a partnership between NASA and ISRO, Shukla will be the first ISRO astronaut to visit the station. Additionally, he will be the second Indian national astronaut in space since Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, in 1984.