Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Conducts Agri-Biotech Experiments on ISS

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, during the final leg of his mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), participated in several cutting-edge biological and agricultural experiments under India’s collaborative space science programme with Axiom Space and ISRO.

Key Scientific Experiments Conducted:

Space Germination of Indian Crop Seeds

• Seeds Used: Green gram (moong) and fenugreek (methi)
• Objective: Study the impact of microgravity on seed germination and early plant development.
• Method: Seeds sprouted in petri dishes, photographed, and stored in a space freezer for return to Earth.
• Post-Mission Plan:
  Seeds to be cultivated over multiple generations to observe:
  • Genetic adaptations
  • Microbial ecosystem shifts
  • Changes in nutritional profiles

Microalgae Deployment

• Studied for their ability to produce food, oxygen, and biofuels.
• Valuable for long-duration space missions due to their:
  • High adaptability
  • Efficient oxygen generation
  • Sustainability in closed-loop ecosystems

Space Crop Breeding

• Six plant varieties grown with the aim to:
  • Identify desirable genetic traits
  • Enable sustainable space farming through genetic analysis

Stem Cell Research

• Focus on testing if microgravity and supplements can:
  • Accelerate cell repair or recovery
  • Improve stem cell-based injury healing or tissue growth

Significance of the Research

• Pioneers astro-agriculture and space biomedicine using indigenous Indian crops.
• Lays foundation for space-based life support systems, crucial for future Mars or lunar missions.
• Enhances India’s contribution to global space biology research.

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