The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is all set to be part of experiments aboard the International Space Station as Shubhanshu Shukla preps to fly aboard the Axiom-4 mission.
The Indian astronaut will launch to the Space Station with Axiom Space on a 14-day-long mission to live and work in zero gravity. He will be conducting several experiments during his stay and one of the most important among them is the Voyager Tardigrades experiment.
Shukla will pilot the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the ISS to become the first Indian ever live and work at the Space Station.
Tardigrades can be found almost everywhere on Earth, including mosses, lichens, soil, leaf litter, freshwater, marine environments, high mountains, deep seas, hot springs, and even polar ice.
Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are tiny, water-dwelling micro-animals famous for their incredible survival abilities.
They were first discovered in 1773 by German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze. The name "Tardigrada" means "slow stepper" in Latin, referring to their sluggish, bear-like movement. These creatures are usually between 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm long, so a microscope is needed to see them.
They have eight legs, each ending in tiny claws, and their bodies are segmented and often covered with a tough cuticle. Their slow, lumbering movements give them the nickname “water bears.”
The Voyager Tardigrades experiment is part of seven other studies from India being launched to the ISS. It will investigate the revival, survival, and reproduction of tardigrades sent to the ISS.
According to a brief by Axiom Space, the experiment 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 space flown v/s 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.
