BENGALURU: The ongoing Axiom-4 Space Mission’s four-member crew in its Dragon Spacecraft — including India’s Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla (call sign Shux) — will undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14 at 7.05am ET (4.35pm IST), announced the ISRO and NASA teams on Saturday. As per the scheduled plan they are to splash down on July 15 off the coast of California, subject to weather conditions on the Earth, to mark the end of their 14-day mission on the ISS.
Explaining the undocking, a senior ISRO scientist said that while Shux was slated to dock the spacecraft, he did it partially as the docking mainly happened in an autonomous mode. The undocking, too, will be carried out in an autonomous mode.
“Soon after splash down, he and his crew mates will need at least seven to adapt to gravity on Earth, and they will also be kept under strict medical observation for effects of the space environment on their bodies. All the experiments Shux is doing are as per schedule and the final reports will be known only after he reaches the base camp,” the scientist said.
After six delays, the commercial low-Earth orbit Axiom-4 mission had finally lifted off on June 25, and the spacecraft docked with the ISS on June 26. He, along with his three crewmates from Hungary, Poland and the US, are conducting 60 experiments on board the ISS, with inputs from 31 countries.
ISRO scientists added that Shux is actively advancing a suite of seven microgravity experiments as part of India’s participation in the Axiom-4 mission. Of these, four experiments have been successfully completed, including one with the Indian strain of tardigrades involving their survival, revival, reproduction and transcriptome (the total messenger RNA molecules expressed from its genes); Myogenesis, studying the impact of space environment on human muscle cells; sprouting of methi and moong seeds in microgravity with relevance to crew nutrition; and Cyanobacteria experiments studying the growth of two of its varieties with relevance to life support systems.
The completed microgravity experiments are being readied for their journey back to earth for further analysis. Also, three experiments are nearing completion. They include studying microalgae, crop seeds and Voyager Display – the last, investigating physical and cognitive impacts due to utilizing computer screens in microgravity.
The Voyager Display experiment will study how pointing tasks, gaze fixation, and rapid eye movements are affected in space, and how this may interact with subjective experiences of stress wellbeing. The results could inform future spacecraft computer design and interaction during space missions.
The India-led microgravity experiments represent a significant leap in space science and technology, contributing critical knowledge to support in missions like Gaganyaan, Bhartiya Antriksh Station, and future planetary missions, said ISRO Chairman V Narayanan.
He added that the ISRO team is continuously monitoring and ensuring Shux’s overall health and fitness through private medical and psychological conferences. Presently, Shux is in good health and in high spirits, he said.