In a phone call with ISRO's chairman, Shubhanshu Shukla acknowledges agency's efforts in ensuring his safe travel to ISS
According to a PTI report, Shukla had called ISRO chairman V Narayanan on July 6, the space agency said. During the call, Narayanan expressed his keen interest in Shukla's well-being and inquired about the various scientific experiments and activities being conducted on the ISS.
Narayanan, also Secretary of Department of Space, emphasised the significance of documenting all experiments and activities meticulously after Shukla's return to Earth, as this will provide valuable insights and inputs for the development of India's human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan.
The Gaganyaan programme aims to demonstrate India's capability to launch a crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit, and the experiences and knowledge gained from this mission will be crucial for its success.
Shukla's ISS mission has been executed under the ISRO-Axiom Spaceflight agreement. The astronaut also shared updates on the progress of the experiments and activities being carried out on the space station, highlighting the scientific objectives and the challenges being addressed.
After a day off, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and others from the Axiom-4 mission on Saturday studied how bones react to microgravity conditions, an experiment that could lead to better treatment of osteoporosis on Earth.
On the 10th flight day, Shukla also participated in an experiment to monitor radiation exposure on the ISS, which could help better protect astronauts on longer-duration space missions away from Earth, a PTI report said.
Lucknow-born Shukla (39) is part of a 14-day mission to the ISS. Shukla, who has the call sign "Shux", is the mission pilot, while veteran US astronaut Peggy Whitson is the commander of the mission.
"Shux deployed samples for the Space Micro Algae investigation. These tiny organisms might one day help sustain life in space, providing food, fuel, and even breathable air. But first, we need to understand how they grow and adapt in microgravity," Axiom Space said in a statement.
The crew participated in the Bone on ISS experiment, providing insight on how bones deteriorate in space and how they recover once back on Earth.
By analysing biological markers related to bone formation, inflammation and growth, researchers are building a digital twin – a virtual model that can simulate how an astronaut's bones respond to spaceflight and recovery, Axiom Space said.
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