Is Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Ready to Reach the International Space Station Tomorrow?

New Delhi, June 9 (NationPress) Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is on the brink of embarking on a mission to ignite the passion for space exploration among the youth, as he prepares to become the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS) this Tuesday.

Following two prior delays, Axiom Space, based in the US, is poised to launch its Mission-4 (Ax-4), which will feature Shukla alongside three other astronauts. The launch will take place from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on June 10 at 8:22 a.m. ET (5:52 p.m. IST).

While Shukla will make history as the first Indian on the ISS, he will be the second Indian to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma, who visited the Salyut 7 space station back in 1984.

In a recent press briefing, Shukla expressed his steadfast confidence in the success of Mission-4.

During an interview with IANS in March, he shared his aspiration to leverage this momentous journey to inspire a new generation to explore careers in the field of space, just as he was motivated by Rakesh Sharma.

Shukla is set to pilot the mission alongside Commander Peggy Whitson from the US. The crew also includes mission specialists Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

Upon arrival at the ISS, Group Captain Shukla of the IAF will conduct groundbreaking experiments focused on food and nutrition.

These experiments, developed through a collaboration involving the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with NASA's support, aim to enhance space nutrition and create self-sustaining life support systems essential for prolonged space missions.

The study will investigate how microgravity and space radiation affect edible microalgae, a nutrient-dense food source with significant potential.

Key growth parameters and variations in transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes of various algal species will be analyzed in space versus Earth conditions.

Meanwhile, Axiom Space is ready for its fourth mission to the ISS. Before the launch, the Ax-4 crew, along with SpaceX teams, successfully completed a comprehensive rehearsal for launch day.

“Go #Ax4!” the company declared in a social media post.

A backup launch opportunity has also been established for June 11 at 8:00 a.m. ET (5:30 p.m. IST).

The Ax-4 mission marks the second commercial spaceflight, comprising a crew of government and ESA-sponsored astronauts.

Throughout the mission, the Ax-4 crew will engage in around 60 scientific studies and research activities, collaborating with contributions from 31 countries, including the US, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and various European nations.