What is Axiom-4 Mission?

• Context (TH): Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to go to space in 41 years, has completed all seven Indian microgravity experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during the Axiom-4 mission.

• These experiments were designed to study biological responses in microgravity and support the development of future space exploration and human survival in extraterrestrial environments.

About Axiom-4 (Ax-4) Mission

• The Axiom 4 Mission, the 4^th private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), is being operated by private US space company Axiom Space, in partnership with NASA and SpaceX.
• It will be launched aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
• Mission Duration: Crew will stay 14 days on ISS, conducting 60 scientific experiments across 31 nations.
• Research domains: Space biology, material science, microgravity impact, cognition studiescrop/seed growth in space.
• The mission will send the first Indian astronaut to the station as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space agency. Also carries first astronauts from Poland & Hungary to stay aboard the ISS.
• Marks India’s return to crewed space missions after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight.

Key Experiments Conducted

• Muscle Regeneration (Myogenesis): Studied muscle loss in microgravity and tested metabolic supplements to prevent atrophy (partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body).
• Crop Seed Growth: Observed six crop varieties (including moong and methi) for changes in germination, genetics, microbial content, and nutrition, contributing to future space farming solutions.
• Sprouting Salad Seeds: Focused on the sprouting behaviour of moong and fenugreek seeds in space, followed by Earth-based growth to assess adaptive changes.
• Microalgae Study: Monitored three microalgae strains to understand genetic and metabolic responses in space, supporting oxygen generation and food production in closed space habitats.
• Cyanobacteria Research: Studied two cyanobacteria strains for photosynthetic efficiency and resilience, with applications in life-support systems for extended space missions.
• Voyager Tardigrades: Rehydrated and observed Indian strains of tardigrades (water bears) to explore their survival and reproduction in space.
• Voyager Displays (Human–Machine Interface): Analysed astronaut interaction with digital displays in microgravity, measuring pointing accuracy, gaze, performance, and stress to improve future spacecraft interface design.