Watch the video here:
At 8:14am ET on Thursday, the hatch opened between the @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station and the Ax-4 crew from @Axiom_Space crew entered. More… pic.twitter.com/k6GWzj0Oav
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) June 26, 2025
The spacecraft docked at 4:01 pm to the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module.
The four-member crew of the Ax-4 mission launched from National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, United States, on 12:01 pm on June 25 and continued orbiting Earth in the Dragon capsule for more than 24 hours.
Ax-4 Mission includes Commander Peggy Whitson from the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India, and Mission Specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
Read on: Learning like a baby: Shubhanshu Shukla reflects on space life, shares swan symbolism
ISS astronauts welcome the crew
“Our Ax-4 crewmates made it safely aboard the Space Station today! It was a pleasure and an honour to monitor their approach and work the hatch opening,” astronaut Nichole Ayers, who is already on the ISS, along with six other members as part of the Expedition 73 crew, said.
“I also got a couple good photos as they caught up and approached from below the station! Welcome Peggy, Shux, Suave, and Tibor,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Our Ax-4 crewmates made it safely aboard the @Space_Station today! It was a pleasure and an honor to monitor their approach and work the hatch opening.
I also got a couple good photos as they caught up and approached from below the station!Welcome Peggy, Shux, Suave, and… pic.twitter.com/aUxJsfJKy3
— Nichole “Vapor” Ayers (@Astro_Ayers) June 26, 2025
60 scientific studies in 14 days
Over the next 14 days, the Ax-4 crew will carry out around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, marking the most research-intensive mission Axiom Space has conducted aboard the space station, as per company’s statement on the website.
The studies will enhance global knowledge in human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, demonstrating the space research capabilities of the crew’s home nations.
ISRO’s research initiatives
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), represented by Shukla will focus on advancing microgravity research aboard the ISS to enhance our understanding of biological processes in microgravity and develop strategies for long-duration space missions.
Read on: In Pics: Shubhanshu Shukla docks successfully at ISS, becomes first Indian aboard
- Crop seeds on ISS: This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on six varieties of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and plants showing preferred traits selected for genetic analyses. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
- Cyanobacteria on ISS: Cyanobacteria are aquatic bacteria that can photosynthesise, and are of interest for integration into spacecraft environmental control systems. This ISRO experiment will compare two strains of cyanobacteria to investigate growth rates, cellular responses, and biochemical activity in microgravity. The results could help with the development of future spacecraft life support systems.
- Myogenesis: This project aims to identify the pathways responsible for skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and explore therapeutic targeting strategies. By studying how muscle loss occurs in space, the project seeks to pinpoint specific molecular mechanisms and potential interventions. Understanding these pathways is crucial for developing treatments to prevent muscle atrophy in astronauts during long space missions. On Earth, the findings could also impact the understanding of and treatments for muscle-related diseases and conditions related to aging or prolonged immobility.
- Sprouts: This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on germination and growth of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and the effects on genetics, microbial load, and nutritional profile investigated. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
- Space microalgae: Microalgae are potentially useful organisms for future spaceflight that could be used as foods, fuel, or even used in life support systems. In this experiment, three strains of microalgae will be grown and the impact of microgravity on the growth, metabolism, and genetic activity will be investigated versus algae grown on the ground.
- Voyager displays: This experiment will investigate how the physical and cognitive impact of utilising computer screens in microgravity. The research will study how pointing tasks, gaze fixation, and rapid eye movements are affected my being performed in space, and how this may interact with subjective experiences of stress wellbeing. The results could inform future spacecraft computer design and interaction.
- Travel Tardigrades: This ISRO project will investigate the revival, survival, and reproduction of tardigrades sent to the ISS. The project will examine the revival of dormant tardigrades, count the number of eggs laid and hatched during a mission, and compare the gene expression patterns of spaceflown vs. ground control populations. The research seeks to identify molecular mechanisms of resilience which has implications for understanding the limits of life in extreme environments. This knowledge could inform future space exploration and help develop biotechnology applications on Earth.
Tardigrades are a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals and are commonly known as water bears or moss piglets. They are among the most resilient animals known, with individual species able to survive extreme conditions – such as exposure to extreme temperatures.
