Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has now completed 10 days in space, where he has been carrying out important experiments that will help make future long-term space missions safer and more successful.

One of his main tasks was to study myogenesis, which looks at how microgravity causes faster muscle weakening in astronauts. In space, because there is no gravity, astronauts lose muscle strength quickly. This is due to changes at the cellular and molecular level.

“Shux meticulously documented the experiment, which seeks to unravel the precise mechanisms behind muscle loss. The ultimate goal is to develop effective countermeasures to preserve astronaut muscle health during extended missions.”

Experts say that microgravity affects how muscle cells grow and use energy, leading to increased muscle breakdown and less protein creation. While astronauts do exercise in space, current routines are not enough to fully stop this muscle loss.

Microalgae & sprouts experiments for life support

Shux also worked on the Space Micro Algae experiment. He carefully set up and later packed up the samples. Microalgae are seen as a strong option for life-support systems in space. They grow quickly, make oxygen, and can be used for food and fuel.

Some types of algae can live in harsh space conditions and help recycle carbon dioxide and nutrients, which is very useful for future space stations or colonies.

In another important assignment, Shux watered seeds for the Sprouts project, which studies how seeds grow in space. These seeds will be planted on Earth after the mission to see how space travel affects their growth, genes, and nutrition. This could help future astronauts grow their own food on long missions.

ISRO had earlier shown fast cowpea growth in space, and now this study builds on that success.

Studying human movement in space

Shux and his team also collected data for the Voyager Displays experiment, which looks at eye movement and hand-eye coordination in space. This is important for designing better spacecraft controls that astronauts can use safely and easily.

Together, these experiments bring humanity a step closer to living and working in deep space.

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