Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has turned farmer in the final leg of his space journey.
Shukla and his fellow Axiom-4 astronauts have spent around two weeks on the orbital lab, and they are expected to return to Earth any day after July 14.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has said that its astronaut, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, one of Shukla’s colleagues on the Axiom-4 mission, will return to Germany after July 14.
Preparations for the crew’s return are expected to begin soon, even though the return date has yet to be announced.
‘Moong’ and ‘methi’ seeds sprouting in Space
As part of a study on how microgravity influences germination and early plant development, Shukla took photos of ‘moong’ and ‘methi’ seeds sprouting in petri dishes and inserted them into a storage freezer on the International Space Station (ISS).
“I am so proud that ISRO has been able to collaborate with national institutions all over the country and come up with some fantastic research which I am doing on the station for all the scientists and researchers. It is exciting and a joy to do this,” Shukla said in an interaction with Axiom Space Chief Scientist Lucie Low on Wednesday.
The sprouts experiment is led by two scientists – Ravikumar Hosamani of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and Sudheer Siddapureddy of the Indian Institute of Technology, Dharwad.
Once returned to Earth, the seeds will be cultivated over several generations to examine changes in their genetics, microbial ecosystems and nutritional profiles, a statement from Axiom Space said.
In another experiment, Shukla deployed and stowed microalgae, which are being investigated for their potential to produce food, oxygen and even biofuels. Their resilience and versatility make them ideal for supporting human life on long-duration missions.
“Right from doing stem cell research and looking at the effect of microgravity on seeds, evaluating the cognitive load on astronauts while they are interacting with screens onboard the station. It has been fantastic. I feel proud to be this kind of a bridge between the researchers and the station and do the research on behalf of them,” Shukla said.
“One particular research I am really excited about is stem cell research where scientists are trying to explore whether it is possible to accelerate recovery or growth or repair injury by adding supplements to stem cells. It has been great to work in the Glove Box doing this research for them. I am really excited to be doing this,” he added.
