THE AXIOM-4 MISSION INDIA'S RETURN TO HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT

The significance of the Ax-4 Mission to the ISS is it offers convergence of science, technology, and human innovation that enables research that is not possible on Earth.

- NIRAD MUDUR @Bengaluru

also known as 'water bears', a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals, discovered by German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773, who called them "Kleiner Wasserbär" or "little water bear". Harmless to humans, tardigrades are known for their ability to survive in extreme conditions, and earlier studies have suggested they may provide useful insights for improving human stress and radiation tolerance.

The studies are expected to enhance global knowledge in human research, earth observation, biological, and material sciences, while demonstrating the space research capabilities of the crew's home nations.

On completion of their 14-day mission, the Ax-4 Mission will return to Earth's atmosphere in the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after detaching from the ISS. After safe descent through the Earth's dense atmosphere using heat shields, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will deploy its parachutes to reduce its descent velocity and splash down in the ocean before recovery teams retrieve the crew and the spacecraft.

Mission significance; NASA's role For more than 24 years, NASA has supported a continuous human presence aboard the ISS orbiting laboratory, through which astronauts have learned to live and work in space for extended periods of time.