Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Gaganyatri will carry out shortlisted microgravity research experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS) during the upcoming Axiom-4 mission.
The Axiom-4 mission (Axe-4), which Gaganyatri Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will pilot to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 8.
The ISRO has shortlisted seven microgravity research experiments proposed by Indian Principal Investigators (PIs) from various national Research and Development laboratories, academic institutions for implementation on the International Space Station (ISS) during the upcoming Axiom-4 mission.
The field of microgravity research with potential applications in diverse areas, such as human health, physical/life sciences, material research, novel pharmaceutical development and biotechnology, offers significant opportunities to the national scientific community, said an official statement from ISRO.
The research includes the impact of microgravity radiation in the ISS on edible microalgae.
Sprouting salad seeds in space: relevance to crew nutrition; survival, revival, reproduction, and transcriptome of the eutardigrade Paramacrobiotus sp. BLR strain in space; effect of metabolic supplements on muscle regeneration under microgravity; analysing human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity; impact of microgravity on growth and yield parameters in food crop seeds.
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The experience gained through this effort in the implementation of these experiments will nurture a microgravity research ecosystem in the country, resulting in the induction of advanced microgravity experiments in various disciplines in the Indian Space Programme, it added.
The upcoming Axiom-4 mission with ISRO’s Gaganyatri marks the visit of the first Indian ever to the International Space Station (ISS).