International Space Station’s newest residents settle in, gear up for micro-gravity experiments

After entering the orbiting laboratory on Thursday, the Axiom-4 astronauts spent the rest of the day settling in space. The crew completed handover activities with the Expedition 73 crew and began acclimating to life in microgravity.“The astronauts are happy, healthy and eager to begin a full slate of microgravity research, technology demonstrations and outreach engagements,” said Axiom Space in a statement.

After the Axiom-4 Mission successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday at 4:15 pm, the crew members set up their sleeping quarters.

Commander Peggy Whitson located in the Quest Airlock module, mission pilot Shubhankar Shukla in Dragon, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski in Columbus, and Tibor Kapu in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) at the ISS.

A few hours before docking to the space station, the crew conducted an in-flight event in the new Dragon spacecraft name Grace. Their fifth crewmember, Joy, a swam model that is their zero-g indicator, made its debut in microgravity.

The firm further said that key operational tasks, including unpacking cargo in Dragon and reviewing emergency protocols, were completed.

Over the next 14 days, the Axiom-4 crew will carry out around 60 scientific studies and activities, representing 31 countries.

This marks the most research-intensive mission that Axiom Space has conducted aboard the space station, highlighting the mission’s global collaboration and commitment to advancing science in low-Earth orbit, Axiom Space said.

In addition to their scientific research, the crew will engage in media, educational and outreach activities to share their journey. Before diving into their busy schedules, the Ax-4 crew will spend the next day acclimating and completing other operational tasks as the newest residents aboard the International Space Station.

India