Latest news with #Ax‑4
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
What next for Shukla, Ax-4 crew & Axiom Space
Photo/Agencies With over 20 days and more than 60 experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) crew, including Shubhanshu Shukla , which returned to Earth Tuesday, will enter a week-long rehabilitation programme. The crew, which has completed initial medical evaluations, will go through the extensive rehab programme, following which mission debriefs and other procedures will unfold. According to sources from Axiom Space , upon completion of the seven days, the crew is expected to get a week's break before the debriefing commences. Meanwhile, the more than 580 pounds of scientific samples and hardware from the 60+ scientific experiments covering life sciences, materials research, Earth observation, and technology demonstrations from 31 countries, will now be returned to respective agencies. Principal investigators of the experiments, including studies on microgravity, suit fabrics, muscle stimulation, micro‑algae systems, and environmental psychology, will analyse the samples and data in the coming weeks . Scientific publications are expected to take more time. Beyond science, the crew engaged in more than 20 outreach events, interacting with students, officials, and researchers worldwide. 'The Ax-4 mission is a powerful demonstration of what's possible through commercial space. By enabling astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to carry out scientific research aboard the space station, we are supporting these nations in their contributions to human spaceflight . This mission reflects Axiom's vision of a thriving low-Earth orbit economy, where access to space is no longer limited to a few, but extends to all who seek to explore, discover, and innovate,' Axiom Space CEO Tejpaul Bhatia, said. Reiterating that for each of these countries, Ax-4 signalled a return to human spaceflight after over 40 years, Axiom Space said: 'It was also the first time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary conducted a mission on the ISS.' With Ax‑4 completed, Axiom Space's attention shifts to the Axiom-5 mission, currently targeted for no earlier than May 2026 — a 14‑to‑21‑day ISS mission that will carry a new crew.
News18
15-07-2025
- Science
- News18
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Exits Dragon Space Pod Following Splashdown
Last Updated: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and his Ax-4 crew safely splashed down near San Diego after a 22-hour descent from the ISS. Medical checks were conducted on the crew. Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla emerged from the capsule on Tuesday after completing the Axiom 4 mission. Following the splashdown, a medical officer entered the pod to check on the health of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his mission commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule 'Grace" carrying Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his fellow Ax‑4 crew safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California—near San Diego—at approximately 3 PM IST on July 15, 2025, concluding their 22‑hour descent from the ISS view comments First Published: July 15, 2025, 15:56 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to head back home
Ahead of his journey back to Earth, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Sunday (July 13, 2025) said that today's India looks ambitious, fearless, confident, and full of pride. 'Forty-one years ago, an Indian went to space, and he also described how India looks from above, and you all want to know how India looks from here. Let me tell you, today's India from space looks ambitious, fearless, confident, and full of pride. Because of these reasons, I am telling you again, 'Aaj ka Bharat abhi bi sare jahan se acha dikhta hai' (today's India still looks the best in the world). Let's meet on Earth soon,' Group Captain Shukla, said at a farewell ceremony on the International Space Station (ISS). It had been an incredible journey for him at the ISS, he said. 'My journey [to the ISS] is going to get over. But your and my journey is still on; the journey of our human space mission is a long and also difficult one. But I can assure that if we are determined, even stars are attainable,' Group Captain Shukla said. Thanking fellow astronauts at the ISS, he said they had made his and the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4) crew members' stay special. 'For the last two-and-a-half weeks, we have done a lot of science in the station, [and] outreach activities, and looked back at the Earth when we found time. It almost seems magical to me. These missions have very far-reaching implications beyond science and that is what I believe. Back from here, I carry with me a lot of memories, but one thing that really sticks to me is what humanity is capable of when all of us come together from different parts of the world and work for a common goal,' Group Captain Shukla said. Shubhanshu Shukla to start return journey from ISS today After two-and-a-half weeks at the ISS, the Indian astronaut will be embarking on this journey back to Earth on Monday (July 14, 2025). Group Captain Shukla, pilot of the Ax-4 mission, along with three other crew members, is scheduled to undock from the forward-facing port of the station's Harmony module at 4.35 p.m. IST (7.05 a.m. ET). The Ax-4 crew will begin their journey home aboard SpaceX Dragon, with a splashdown off the coast of California. The journey back to Earth would take about 22.5 hours. Following a series of orbital manoeuvres after undocking, the Dragon is expected to splashdown at 3 p.m. (IST) on Tuesday (July 15, 2025). 'After performing a series of departure burns to move away from the space station, Dragon will conduct multiple orbit-lowering manoeuvres, jettison the trunk, and re-enter Earth's atmosphere for splashdown off the coast of California 22.5 hours later,' SpaceX said. Group Captain Shukla, who became the first Indian astronaut to go to the ISS, and the first Indian to reach space in the last 41 years, was to spend up to 14 days at the ISS. However, his stay got extended by a few days. During his stay at the orbiting laboratory, he conducted several microgravity research experiments proposed by Indians from national R&D laboratories and academic institutions. He also spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and had a couple of interactions with the student community back home via ham radio. The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and nations across Europe. After splashdown, Group Captain Shukla will undergo a rehabilitation programme for about a week, under the supervision of flight surgeons, in order to adapt back to Earth's gravity.
The Hindu
13-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Today's India looks ambitious, fearless, confident, and full of pride, says astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla
Ahead of his journey back to Earth, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Sunday (July 13, 2025) said that today's India looks ambitious, fearless, confident, and full of pride. 'Forty-one years ago, an Indian went to space, and he also described how India looks from above, and you all want to know how India looks from here. Let me tell you, today's India from space looks ambitious, fearless, confident, and full of pride. Because of these reasons, I am telling you again, 'Aaj ka Bharat abhi bi sare jahan se acha dikhta hai' (today's India still looks the best in the world). Let's meet on Earth soon,' Group Captain Shukla, said at a farewell ceremony on the International Space Station (ISS). It had been an incredible journey for him at the ISS, he said. 'My journey [to the ISS] is going to get over. But your and my journey is still on; the journey of our human space mission is a long and also difficult one. But I can assure that if we are determined, even stars are attainable,' Group Captain Shukla said. Thanking fellow astronauts at the ISS, he said they had made his and the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4) crew members' stay special. 'For the last two-and-a-half weeks, we have done a lot of science in the station, [and] outreach activities, and looked back at the Earth when we found time. It almost seems magical to me. These missions have very far-reaching implications beyond science and that is what I believe. Back from here, I carry with me a lot of memories, but one thing that really sticks to me is what humanity is capable of when all of us come together from different parts of the world and work for a common goal,' Group Captain Shukla said. After two-and-a-half weeks at the ISS, the Indian astronaut will be embarking on this journey back to Earth on Monday (July 14, 2025). Group Captain Shukla, pilot of the Ax-4 mission, along with three other crew members, is scheduled to undock from the forward-facing port of the station's Harmony module at 4.35 p.m. IST (7.05 a.m. ET). The Ax-4 crew will begin their journey home aboard SpaceX Dragon, with a splashdown off the coast of California. The journey back to Earth would take about 22.5 hours. Following a series of orbital manoeuvres after undocking, the Dragon is expected to splashdown at 3 p.m. (IST) on Tuesday (July 15, 2025). 'After performing a series of departure burns to move away from the space station, Dragon will conduct multiple orbit-lowering manoeuvres, jettison the trunk, and re-enter Earth's atmosphere for splashdown off the coast of California 22.5 hours later,' SpaceX said. Group Captain Shukla, who became the first Indian astronaut to go to the ISS, and the first Indian to reach space in the last 41 years, was to spend up to 14 days at the ISS. However, his stay got extended by a few days. During his stay at the orbiting laboratory, he conducted several microgravity research experiments proposed by Indians from national R&D laboratories and academic institutions. He also spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and had a couple of interactions with the student community back home via ham radio. The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and nations across Europe. After splashdown, Group Captain Shukla will undergo a rehabilitation programme for about a week, under the supervision of flight surgeons, in order to adapt back to Earth's gravity.
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Axiom launch: Shubhanshu Shukla to take part in these 7 experiments in space
Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4) is all geared up to take off to its destination, International Space Station (ISS), from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will be part of the crew. He and other team members will conduct several experiments in space. The experiments that are to be conducted by Shukla, are developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other Indian institutions.(AFP) The launch, which was scheduled on Sunday, June 22, has been delayed. While the launch shas been postponed until further notice, Shukla and Axiom Mission will be reportedly conducting these 7 experiments in space. The experiments are developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other Indian institutions. 1. Myogenesis Co-ordinated by the Institute of Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (InStem), India, one of India's research missions as part of Axiom includes looking for the causes of muscle atrophy. Since astronauts suffer from muscle loss in space, Shukla will be looking into its causes in microgravity and identifying therapy-based strategies to deal with it. 2. Food crop seeds in microgravity Co-ordinated by Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology and Kerala Agricultural University, seeds of six varieties of crops will be taken to space to test their growth and development. Kerala Agricultural University expects to look for genetic properties that can be used for crop cultivation in space. 3. Sprouting salad seeds in the International Space Station (ISS) Co-ordinated by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and Indian Institute of Technology, Dharwad, this experiment aims to look for the effect of space on the process of germination and thriving of seeds. The seeds will be cultivated across generations to observe genetic and nutritional changes after the mission. 4. Voyager tardigrade Co-ordinated by Indian Institute of Science, this experiment aims towards finding the underlying reason behind how the almost indestructible micro-animals cope under extreme stress. The process involves rehydrating the organisms and studying their existence and healing procedures in space. 5. Voyager displays Also coordinated by Indian Institute of Science, this experiment will dive deep into researching the physical and cognitive consequences of computer screen usage in space by observing actions like pointing at the screen, and eyeball movements. It will also shed light on its effects on the astronaut's stress levels. 6. Cyanobacteria in microgravity Co-ordinated by the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) with the European Space Agency (ESA), this experiment aims at examining cyanobacteria or water bacteria's photosynthesis abilities. Two strains of this bacterium will be experimented with to find out about their growth rates and biochemical activities in space. 7. Space microalgae Co-ordinated by the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) & National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), India, this experiment will research into the metabolism, growth and genetic activities of microalgae without gravity, in space. Three strains of microalgae will undergo this experiment. With inputs from PTI
