Stage Set For India's First Astronaut On ISS, Axiom Mission 4 Launch Expected No Sooner Than May

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Axiom Space just unveiled the research agenda for the mission, which includes 60 experiments from 31 countries, with targeted studies from NASA, ISRO, and ESA

Shukla will serve as a pilot, with former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, as commander of the commercial mission. There will be two mission specialists—European Space Agency (ESA) Project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary—also on their maiden visit to the ISS. Image/SpaceX
Shukla will serve as a pilot, with former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, as commander of the commercial mission. There will be two mission specialists—European Space Agency (ESA) Project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary—also on their maiden visit to the ISS. Image/SpaceX

The stage is set for Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to become India’s first-ever astronaut aboard the International Space Station as he joins scientists from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) for the much-awaited Axiom Mission 4. In its latest update, Axiom Space announced that the commercial mission is scheduled to launch from Florida no earlier than May.

Shukla will serve as a pilot, with former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, as commander of the commercial mission. There will be two mission specialists—European Space Agency (ESA) Project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary—also on their maiden visit to the ISS.

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    “Soon, one of our astronauts Gp Captain Shukla will accompany scientists going to the ISS most likely next month. This speaks volumes about the talent in our country," said union minister of state for science and technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday.

    While Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian astronaut to travel to space in 1984, Shukla will become the first to visit ISS, which became functional in 2000.

    Shukla is one of four ISRO astronauts undergoing rigorous training for Gaganyaan—India’s first-ever human spaceflight. The Axiom mission gives an opportunity to gain experience in living and working in space for an extended period ahead of India’s human spaceflight. Meanwhile, the remaining astronauts will continue their intensive preparatory phase.

    The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry the crew to the ISS. Once docked, the astronauts will spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory—a springboard for developing a low Earth orbit economy—and conduct numerous experiments.

    60 experiments: Investigating life in microgravity

    On Thursday, Axiom Space also unveiled the slew of experiments and the focus of research for each of the three space agencies in the upcoming mission. Overall, Ax-4’s research includes 60 scientific studies and activities representing as many as 31 countries, including the US and India, it announced.

    The ISRO-led research will focus on getting a better understanding of biological processes in microgravity and developing strategies for long-duration space missions. Group Captain Shukla will also try to investigate the physical and cognitive impact of computer screens in microgravity, as well as understand the skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and explore potential therapies. There will also be experiments designed to understand the impact of spaceflight on the germination and growth of six crop seed varieties and bacterial growth in microgravity.

    Axiom Space will focus on studying the effects of spaceflight on the human body, especially joints, blood flow, stem cells, cancer growth, and radiation exposure, and on exploring space-based research that can improve health and medical treatments on Earth. It will also examine microgravity’s impact on the brain and cognitive risks and largely enhance understanding of how humans adapt to space.

    “The studies will contribute to the global knowledge base in human research, Earth observation and life, biological and material sciences, showcasing the space research capabilities of the crew’s home nations," it added.

    NASA eyes more private astronaut missions in future

    Axiom Space has flown three private astronaut missions before, with the first launch in 2022 involving a 17-day stay at ISS and the most recent in January 2024, which lasted 18 days. Also in the pipeline is Axiom Station, the first commercial space station, which will offer a permanent platform for research, manufacturing, and human spaceflight.

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      With it, NASA is keen to tap into commercial missions aboard ISS to develop low-cost access to space so that it can focus on the upcoming Artemis Mission to the Moon in preparation for Mars, with low Earth orbit as a training ground for those deep space missions.

      “As NASA looks forward to the future of the low earth orbit, private astronaut missions will help pave the way and expand access to the unique microgravity experiment," said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s ISS Program at Johnson Space Centre, Houston, in a statement.

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