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) during the upcoming Axiom-4 mission.

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

Microgravity research holds promise for various fields, including human health, physical and life sciences, material science, pharmaceutical innovation, and biotechnology. One of the studies will investigate the effects of microgravity radiation on edible microalgae.

Among the experiments are: sprouting salad seeds in space for crew nutrition; studying the survival and reproduction of the eutardigrade Paramacrobiotus sp. BLR strain in microgravity; assessing the impact of metabolic supplements on muscle recovery; analyzing human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity; and evaluating the growth and yield of food crop seeds in a microgravity environment.

These experiments are designed to utilize the research facilities available on the ISS. Given the safety protocols and other constraints associated with human spaceflight, these selected microgravity experiments are undergoing rigorous evaluations prior to launch. The knowledge gained from these initiatives is expected to foster a microgravity research ecosystem in India, paving the way for advanced experiments in various scientific disciplines 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. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first astronaut from ISRO to undertake this journey, 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.