BENGALURU: The Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4) crew, including Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla (Shux), has entered the final stretch of their time aboard the International Space Station (ISS), with their return to Earth anticipated any day after July 9.
As of July 8, the crew has completed 13 days in orbit as part of the mission that was planned to last up to 14 days aboard the orbiting lab. While no formal announcement has been made about the undocking schedule, preparations are likely under way for the complex coordination required to bring the team safely back.
Returning from space is no simple affair. Multiple factors — including weather at the landing site, spacecraft readiness, and alignment with other station and orbital schedules — must align precisely. Ground teams from Axiom Space, SpaceX , Nasa , and international partners will be monitoring all parameters closely before giving the final “go” for re-entry.
Meanwhile, science has continued uninterrupted. Mission pilot Shux has remained at the centre of several key experiments. Over the past few days, Shux examined cyanobacteria — a type of photosynthetic bacteria that can produce their own food using sunlight — under different conditions aboard the ISS. By comparing strains, scientists hope to understand how spaceflight alters the growth and function of these photosynthetic bacteria.
He continued with his muscle loss (myogenesis) study and conducted a microscopy session and collected cell samples to investigate how microgravity accelerates muscle loss, a critical issue for long-duration missions. In another experiment, he deployed culture bags for the “Space Microalgae” study. These tiny organisms, with their ability to produce food, oxygen, and even biofuels, are being studied as potential life-support tools for future interplanetary journeys.
His work extended to redeploying components of the “Voyager Displays” experiment, focused on how space affects gaze coordination and pointing accuracy — vital for designing future spacecraft interfaces.
The rest of the Ax-4 crew has also kept up a packed research schedule. Commander Peggy Whitson has been supporting and guiding the team with her decades of space experience. Among other projects, the crew continued working on the PhotonGrav study, collecting brain activity data using near-infrared spectroscopy.
This is part of a broader effort to develop neuroadaptive technologies that could help astronauts interact more intuitively with onboard systems — and could eventually benefit people on Earth with neurological or motor impairments.
Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu completed work on “VITAPRIC”, nurturing radish and wheat microgreens that may one day provide astronauts with fresh produce on long-duration missions. He also continued with the “Fruit Fly DNA Repair” study, which tracks how radiation in space affects genetic material — key for developing safeguards for future human missions beyond low Earth orbit.
The crew has participated in several more studies: from the Wireless Acoustics experiment to evaluate wearable sound monitors, to the “Acquired Equivalence Test” that probes cognitive function in weightlessness. Data has been collected for cardiovascular and balance system changes under the “Telemetric Health AI” project, aimed at advancing real-time health tracking.
As Earth awaits their return, the Ax-4 astronauts remain focused. Each hour in orbit is still being put to use — ensuring that when they do return, they bring back not just stories and photographs, but data that may aid in shaping the future of human spaceflight.
As of July 8, the crew has completed 13 days in orbit as part of the mission that was planned to last up to 14 days aboard the orbiting lab. While no formal announcement has been made about the undocking schedule, preparations are likely under way for the complex coordination required to bring the team safely back.
Returning from space is no simple affair. Multiple factors — including weather at the landing site, spacecraft readiness, and alignment with other station and orbital schedules — must align precisely. Ground teams from Axiom Space, SpaceX , Nasa , and international partners will be monitoring all parameters closely before giving the final “go” for re-entry.
Meanwhile, science has continued uninterrupted. Mission pilot Shux has remained at the centre of several key experiments. Over the past few days, Shux examined cyanobacteria — a type of photosynthetic bacteria that can produce their own food using sunlight — under different conditions aboard the ISS. By comparing strains, scientists hope to understand how spaceflight alters the growth and function of these photosynthetic bacteria.
He continued with his muscle loss (myogenesis) study and conducted a microscopy session and collected cell samples to investigate how microgravity accelerates muscle loss, a critical issue for long-duration missions. In another experiment, he deployed culture bags for the “Space Microalgae” study. These tiny organisms, with their ability to produce food, oxygen, and even biofuels, are being studied as potential life-support tools for future interplanetary journeys.
His work extended to redeploying components of the “Voyager Displays” experiment, focused on how space affects gaze coordination and pointing accuracy — vital for designing future spacecraft interfaces.
The rest of the Ax-4 crew has also kept up a packed research schedule. Commander Peggy Whitson has been supporting and guiding the team with her decades of space experience. Among other projects, the crew continued working on the PhotonGrav study, collecting brain activity data using near-infrared spectroscopy.
This is part of a broader effort to develop neuroadaptive technologies that could help astronauts interact more intuitively with onboard systems — and could eventually benefit people on Earth with neurological or motor impairments.
Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu completed work on “VITAPRIC”, nurturing radish and wheat microgreens that may one day provide astronauts with fresh produce on long-duration missions. He also continued with the “Fruit Fly DNA Repair” study, which tracks how radiation in space affects genetic material — key for developing safeguards for future human missions beyond low Earth orbit.
The crew has participated in several more studies: from the Wireless Acoustics experiment to evaluate wearable sound monitors, to the “Acquired Equivalence Test” that probes cognitive function in weightlessness. Data has been collected for cardiovascular and balance system changes under the “Telemetric Health AI” project, aimed at advancing real-time health tracking.
As Earth awaits their return, the Ax-4 astronauts remain focused. Each hour in orbit is still being put to use — ensuring that when they do return, they bring back not just stories and photographs, but data that may aid in shaping the future of human spaceflight.
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