Axiom-4 Mission Facilitated Microgravity Research in India, Says Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who was part of the Axiom-4 space mission, on Thursday said it opened doors to research in microgravity for India.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave here, Shukla said during his 18-day stay in space he conducted several experiments, designed with a focus on India's planned manned space mission `Gaganyaan', the Indian space station, and a manned mission to the Moon.

Researchers in India, who did not have access to microgravity platforms, are now evaluating the outcomes of the experiments carried out aboard Axiom-4, he said.

Experiments on the Indian strain of Tardigrades, Myogenesis, sprouting of methi (fenugreek) and moong seeds, cyanobacteria, microalgae, crop seeds and Voyager Display were completed during the mission.

The Axiom 4 flight was a stepping stone to the Gaganyaan mission, Shukla said, adding that the official timeline of India's human space mission is 2027.

"We have already established a process where all the information is going back into the system. We have already started refining everything that we were doing. Human space missions are very complex and it changes the scale and magnitude of work that is involved," he said.

On India's planned space station, Shukla said work has already started. Conceptually it is similar to orbiting laboratories, he said.

"There is a lot of science we have learnt from this (Axiom-4) mission. The accomplishment is we have opened doors for microgravity research for our country through this mission. This will now continue to happen. They (researchers) have understood how it is done.

"The challenge is if you were to do an experiment on ground and if you were to replicate it in space, it is not a simple one-on-one transfer. It is extremely complex because of the environment change. Everything has to be thought of. This process has been understood," Shukla said.

Shukla, a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, returned to Earth in July after an 18-day stay on the International Space Station. He became the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma's 1984 flight.

"The unique part of conducting research in microgravity is...you are trying to create life in an environment where it should not exist. When you try to do that, you come up with solutions which solve the problems on Earth which you didn't even think of," Shukla said.

One should not be afraid of defeat, as a defeat can teach a lot, he said.

"We should start celebrating defeats rather than success, so that we can encourage our children that failure is part of the process. That is what we need to inculcate," Shukla added.