Pilot Shubhanshu "Shux" Shukla, a member of the international Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS), marked one week in orbit on Wednesday. According to Axiom Space’s official blog, Shukla spent the day off-duty reconnecting with family on Earth and preparing to resume his intensive research schedule the following day. The Ax-4 crew—Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Mission Specialists Slawosz "Suave" Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu—has now completed seven days aboard the ISS. Since docking on June 26, the crew has completed around 113 orbits of Earth, traveling over 2.9 million miles—nearly twelve times the distance between Earth and the Moon.

Wednesday served as a much-needed rest day for the crew, offering them a break from their busy schedule of experiments. Activities will resume Thursday, with a focus on scientific research and technological demonstrations continuing through the weekend. In just a week, the crew has made substantial contributions to space science. Commander Whitson has been leading cancer research focused on how tumor cells behave in microgravity, potentially paving the way for new therapies. Shukla has been studying the genetic behavior of algae and the resilience of tardigrades—microscopic creatures known for surviving extreme conditions—in space. These studies could uncover valuable insights into cellular adaptation and resilience that have clinical relevance on Earth.

Suave has been evaluating a wearable acoustic monitoring device designed to track sound levels aboard the ISS, with implications for astronaut health and future spacecraft design. Meanwhile, Tibor has been measuring radiation levels using a dosimeter developed in Hungary and has been spearheading a project to grow microgreens in space—a step toward sustainable space farming. The Ax-4 mission holds historic significance, marking the first time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary have participated in a space station mission, and signaling their return to human spaceflight after more than 40 years. Over their two-week mission, the Ax-4 crew is set to conduct more than 60 scientific experiments, underlining the importance of global and commercial collaboration in the future of space exploration.

Having witnessed over a hundred sunrises and sunsets from orbit, the Ax-4 astronauts continue to push the boundaries of space science while inspiring the next generation. The mission launched on June 25 at noon IST aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A and successfully docked with the ISS on June 26 at 4:05 pm IST.