Private Ax-4 astronauts aboard ISS are filling their time with science, views of Earth and pierogis (video)

Houston-based company Axiom Space’s fourth crewed mission to space is nearing its end, and its four astronauts are filling every last minute with science, amazing views of Earth and pierogis.

The crew of Axiom-4 (Ax-4) have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked there on June 26. Their days have been filled with more than 60 research experiments and outreach events, breaking an Axiom mission record for on-orbit activities.

Lucie Low, Axiom’s chief scientist, spoke with the Ax-4 crew during a mission science briefing on July 5. The four astronauts discussed some of the experiments they have been working on during their time aboard the orbital laboratory.

Ax-4 is commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who’s currently Axiom’s director of human spaceflight. She also holds the record for most cumulative days in space by an American, which is inching closer to 700 with each additional day she remains aboard the ISS. Before this mission, her record stood at 675. Whitson has been a helpful voice of experience as her crew navigates life in microgravity, according to Axiom.

Whitson explained to Low that the research the Ax-4 astronauts are conducting on orbit is not only helping the science community, but also the growing number of international partnerships in space. Whitson’s crew includes mission pilot Shubhanshu “Shux” Shukla from India and mission specialists Sławosz “Suave” Uznański, a Polish astronaut from the European Space Agency, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The experiments they’re conducting represent contributions from a total of 31 countries.

“Axiom-4 is a government-sponsored research mission for a global space community,” Whitson said.

“I am so proud that ISRO [the Indian Space Research Organization] has been able to collaborate with national institutions all over the country,” Shux told Low. “They came up with some fantastic research.”

Axiom has published daily updates during the mission, describing experiment progress and highlighting outreach events that different Ax-4 crew members have taken part in, including a microalgae investigation Shux is working on to measure the affects of microgravity on the organism’s biology and its potential use as an in-space resource.

Kapu boasted about Hungary’s skill in dosimetry research. He has been taking part in a technology demonstration using the Rad Nano Dosimeter, a miniature device designed to be continuously worn to monitor a body’s radiation exposure, carbon dioxide levels and the effects of magnetic fields. He is also cultivating radishes and peppers aboard the ISS, which he said are growing “extremely fast.”

Suave told Low one of the experiments that has excited him the most is a brainwave interface device that allows someone to control a machine with only their brain — the first time such a demonstration has been conducted in space. Suave also took time alongside Whitson for another video downlink on July 6, Ax-4’s flight day 12.

The pair spoke with Sonya Gavankar McKay, Axiom’s director of digital strategy, from the space station’s Columbus module. McKay virtually joined Whitson and Suave for a mission update and to share a quick meal.

Holding a food packet identical to one used by the Ax-4 crew in space, McKay speared her fork through a pierogi as she asked Suave how to say, “enjoy your meal,” in Polish (“ciesz się posiłkiem,” according to Google Translate).

Suave and Whitson, also with pierogis on their forks, let them float weightlessly in front of the camera for close-ups. “Pierogi is a very Polish dish,” Suave explained, describing the cuisine as a quintessential comfort food.

He was also asked about some of his photography and the views he has captured of Earth from space. “I try to capture every moment,” Suave said, adding that any free time he has, he spends by the ISS’ giant cupola windows, staring back down at the planet below.

Ax-4: Building Opportunities for Earth – YouTube

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Potentially nearing the end of their scheduled two weeks in space, McKay asked Whitson how the Ax-4 had adjusted to the realities of weightlessness. Despite the crew’s packed schedule, Whitson says they have managed to get the hang of things.

“What’s amazing is how much the guys have really gotten their space legs,” she said. “They’re really getting very efficient and working much more efficiently, and they’re way less stressed.”

Following their SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 25, Ax-4 is expected to remain on orbit for about two weeks. Their earliest return would be July 10, but Axiom, SpaceX and NASA have yet to confirm a date.

The crew’s departure from the ISS is largely dependent on weather at their spacecraft’s splashdown site in the Pacific Ocean, with some wiggle room built in to the visiting crew’s stay aboard the space station in the event of a delay. The departures of both the Ax-1 and Ax-3 missions were held up nearly a week due to unfavorable weather at their splashdown zones.