Axiom-4 Mission: Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Studies Digestion, Muscle Health in Space

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an ISRO astronaut participating in the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) on the International Space Station (ISS), led several scientific experiments. These focused on muscle health, digestion in space, and astronaut mental well-being. Shukla utilized the Kibo laboratory’s Life Sciences Glovebox to study muscle stem cells under microgravity conditions and recorded an educational video for Indian students about digestive system adaptation in space. ISRO’s Myogenesis experiment is investigating how muscle cells regenerate in space, aiming to counteract muscle loss during extended missions. Research results may assist in treatments for muscle-related issues on Earth and improve the health of astronauts on long-duration missions. The Ax-4 mission includes studies on blood pressure, balance, vision and brain-computer interfaces. The mission is running concurrently with the ISS’s Expedition 73, focusing on privately funded science, and research related to human health and biology in space.