Indian astronaut Shukla Axiom-4 mission set for June 10 lift-off, dock at ISS after 28-hour flight
The #Ax4 crew undergoes extensive emergency training, featuring a range of scenarios such as underwater escape drills. pic.twitter.com/Mwoeb9fk51
— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) June 6, 2025
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Onboard Shubhanshu Shukla's mission: Study to enable diabetes patients travel to space
AMONG the studies and experiments that will keep India's Shubhanshu Shukla and other astronauts on Axiom-4 mission busy during their two-week stay in space expected to launch June 10, is one aimed at enabling diabetic people to travel into space. As of now, insulin-dependent diabetic patients are not selected to become astronauts. That is because the space environment, particularly micro-gravity conditions, makes it difficult to control and maintain blood sugar levels. But scientists around the world have been working for the last several years to make this possible. A diabetes-related research project on Axiom-4 mission marks an important step in that effort. One or more astronauts on the mission — it is not disclosed who they may be — will wear Continuous Glucose Meters (CGMs) throughout their stay in space, and their real-time blood sugar measurements will be monitored by the research team on Earth. They will also collect blood samples during their flight which can be tested later to validate the readings of the CGM. The mission will also carry two varieties of insulin pens: one refrigerated, the other in ambient air conditions. These will check whether their integrity remains intact in micro-gravity conditions. 'One of the primary objectives of the study is collect data that is relevant for enabling space travel possible for diabetic people. But it is not just that. The research can be helpful for the management of diabetes on Earth as well,' Mohammad Fityan, the Dubai-based clinical lead for this research project called Suite Ride, told The Indian Express in an interview. Fityan is the chief medical officer at the Burjeel Medical City, a hospital in Dubai which is collaborating with Axiom Space for this research project. Diabetes research in space is not new. Studies on this has been going on for several years. Even CGMs have been worn by astronauts before. The astronauts on the Polaris Dawn mission, a private mission that remained in space for five days in September last year, wore CGMs. But this was limited to collecting blood sugar data while in space. Last year, the Galactic 07 mission, a sub-orbital flight operated by Virgin Galactic, demonstrated for the first time that commercially available insulin pens can be used to effectively deliver the hormone in space. Fityan said the study on Axiom-4 mission is a more 'well-rounded attempt' on diabetes research in space. 'Real-time measurement of blood sugar, the validation of CGMs, and an assessment whether insulin maintains its viability and integrity in space… these are the things that have never been done before,' Fityan said. 'The study will continue for the two weeks of the mission. This is still a short-term study. We would not be able to monitor the blood glucose levels over a longer period. But even this data is very critical for understanding the effect of zero-gravity on diabetes. Microgravity removes many of the physical and gravitational forces acting on the body, allowing us to observe metabolic processes in a fundamentally different context,' he said. Fityan said the research was relevant for diabetic people on Earth as well. 'Previous studies on the International Space Station for example have shown that the effect of microgravity causes fluid shifts in the astronauts. This kind of situation is similar to long-term bed-ridden patients, whose movement is severely restricted. The data that we are hoping to get from the Axiom-4 mission might be very helpful in improving the management of diabetes on Earth as well,' he said. 'Then there is this possibility of the data throwing up some unexpected insights which can lead to secondary outcomes. This kind of thing happens all the time in scientific research,' he said. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
Economic Times
6 hours ago
- Economic Times
SpaceX rolls out Falcon 9 and Dragon for Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's historic trip to space; Check visuals
The countdown for India's historic return to space started with SpaceX on Saturday rolling out the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecrafts to the launch pad ahead of Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight, featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla."Falcon 9 and Dragon rolled out to pad 39A in Florida earlier today ahead of Tuesday's launch of @Axiom_Space's Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station," said SpaceX in a post on X. Read more: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's space mission's schedule out: Check launch date, arrival time, and how to watch liveIndian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are set to embark on the Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10 and are likely to dock at the International Space Station on June 11 at about 10 PM IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey. Shukla, the mission pilot of the Axiom-4 (Ax4) commercial mission to the ISS, will be accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson and specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Axiom-4 mission will mark India's return to space 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz mission in 1984."The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 (10:00 p.m. IST), Wednesday, June 11," NASA said in a statement. What role will Shukla play? Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. As part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station. The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations. NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space private mission also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 mission set for lift-off from Florida on June 10
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are all set to embark on Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight, Axiom-4 mission, from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to the International Space Station on Tuesday, June 10. The Axiom-4, Ax4, commercial mission, is likely to dock at the ISS on June 11 at about 10 pm IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey. The mission was earlier scheduled for a lift-off on June 8 but, last week it was pushed by two days, to June 10 instead. Shubhanshu Shukla will pilot the Ax4 mission and will be accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson, along with specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland. Forty-one years after Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight aboard Russia's Soyuz mission in 1984, India is set to make its space comeback with the Axiom-4 mission. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said in a statement, "The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 pm EDT (10 pm IST), Wednesday, June 11." Ahead of the mission's launch, SpaceX rolled out the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft to the launch pad in Florida on Saturday. The Dragon spacecraft was seen integrated atop the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket. Meanwhile, last week, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan visited Axiom Space to review the preparations for the spaceflight. Shukla and the other three astronauts have been in quarantine since May 25 in preparation for their space trip and have been training ahead of the June 10 launch. Axiom Space shared a video of the training programme and posted on X, "The #Ax4 crew undergoes extensive emergency training, featuring a range of scenarios such as underwater escape drills." The Ax4 crew, during its 14-day stay at the ISS, is likely to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and other space industry leaders. The Axiom-4 mission crew also addressed a press conference earlier this week to provide an update ahead of the launch, with Whitson saying, "We are good for the launch, we have completed all the training and the team has bonded well." About the culturally diverse crew on the mission, Whitson had earlier said that it not only allows the team to advance scientific knowledge but also fosters "international collaboration". "Our previous missions set the stage and with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity's reach among the stars," she added. Shukla described their year-long training for the commercial mission as "nothing short of transformative". "It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come. As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts," Shukla added. The Indian astronaut is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments during his time at the ISS. These experiments were developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with NASA's support. The experiments aim to pioneer space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems necessary for long-duration space travel in the future. ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Shubhanshu Shukla. He will also participate in five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program. The food-related plans are drawn up with a focus on Indian food, including sprouting methi (Fenugreek) and moong (green gram), in microgravity conditions. Shukla will expose these seeds to the macrobiotic conditions and bring them back to Earth, where they will be cultivated into plants not just once but over generations. Shukla's experience on the Axiom-4 mission would also be very helpful for the Gaganyaan mission, which is planned for a 2027 launch. For the Ax4 mission, ISRO is spending a whopping ₹550 crore. (with PTI inputs)
