NEWS – Space Diet: ISRO Plans Moong and Methi Test

HIGHLIGHTS

Indian Astronaut in Axiom-4 Mission

• Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (IAF) to fly to space on May 29.
• Launch location: Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.
• Marks India’s second human spaceflight, after Rakesh Sharma in 1984.
• Shukla will serve as the mission pilot.

International Crew & Collaboration

• Axiom-4 (Ax-4) includes astronauts from:
  • Poland – Sławosz Uznanski (ESA project astronaut)
  • Hungary – Tibor Kapu
  • USA – Peggy Whitson (mission commander; record holder for longest U.S. space time)
• Both Poland and Hungary are launching government-backed missions to the ISS for the first time in over 40 years.

ISRO’s India-Centric Food Experiments

Objectives:

• Develop Indian diet options for future astronauts.
• Explore space farming possibilities for long-duration missions.

 Key Experiments:

1. Sprouting Moong (Green Gram) & Methi (Fenugreek):
   • Study sprouting behavior in microgravity.
   • Experiment named: “Sprouting Salad Seeds in Space: Relevance to Crew Nutrition”
   • Designed by:
     • University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad
     • IIT Dharwad

2. Yield Parameter Test:
   • Seeds from cereals, pulses, oil crops, vegetables exposed to microgravity.
   • Grown on Earth for multiple generations post-exposure.
   • Goal: Lay the foundation for future space farming.

Other ISRO Experiments on Ax-4

• Total: 7 experiments, including:
  • 3 on food
  • 2 on health, such as:
    • Astronauts’ response to computer screens in space.

Duration of Stay

• The Ax-4 crew will spend up to 14 days at the International Space Station (ISS).