Launch of the Ax-4 mission with a Polish astronaut - May 29

Tuesday’s press conference by Axiom Space and the European Space Agency (ESA) was dedicated to the scientific research to be conducted during the Ax-4 mission to the ISS. More than 60 experiments will be working in orbit, including from the US, India, Poland and Hungary (where the Ax-4 crew members come from) and other European countries, as well as Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.

"We are opening the door to countries that have previously only had access to space through ISS partners, and to new countries, institutions and individuals who will (...) drive the extraterrestrial economy," said Axiom Space Chief Scientist Dr. Lucie Low during the conference.

The scientific director of the International Space Station National Laboratory (ISSNL), Dr. Michael Roberts, reminded that to date, more than 4,000 experiments have been conducted on the ISS.

As part of the Polish Ignis mission, 13 experiments will be conducted in orbit, including those related to medicine, biology, biotechnology and engineering sciences.

The head of the Department of Research and Innovation of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), Monika Banaszek-Cymerman, mentioned "Leopardiss" among Polish experiments - assuming the use of a special processor that will enable the use of artificial intelligence on board satellites and in space missions. In turn, as part of the "Space Volcanic Algae" experiment, scientists will check how microalgae, which can be a source of food and oxygen, tolerate space conditions. The authors of the "Neurofeedback EEG" study want to check how isolation and microgravity affect the stress level of astronauts.

"Our experiments are very unique and concern biotechnology, technology, material sciences, as well as a very important field, which is human physiology and psychology. The Ignis mission opens space to everyone," emphasized Monika Banaszek-Cymerman.

She added that participation in the Ax-4 mission is a great opportunity for Poland: "The results of Ax-4 can significantly increase our presence in missions on Earth and in space development. This can be directly translated into investments and benefits that we will achieve from an economic point of view." She noted that it is also a "historic moment" for Poland, which joins this mission to be present in orbit after 47 years.

Head of the Group for Microgravity Platforms and Research of the Indian Space Research Organisation, Tushar Phadnis, informed that the Indian experiments will cover development and genetic activity of microalgae and cyanobacteria, muscle regeneration in microgravity and germination of edible plants in space, among others.

As the European Space Agency's Chief Scientist for Exploration, Dr. Angelique Van Ombergen, pointed out, it is particularly important to complement the ESA science team with specialists in health research. "This is a priority for us. It is also related to our strategy, which involves keeping the crew in the best possible condition and fitness during all missions, but also using this research to prepare for space exploration," she explained.

One of the experiments that the mission organizers have great hopes for is research into the methods of treating insulin-dependent diabetes in microgravity conditions - a disease that has previously disqualified people from space flights. "We want to check how the body reacts to microgravity, temperature changes and cosmic radiation and how these factors will affect blood sugar metabolism," said the medical director of Burjeel Holdings (United Arab Emirates), Dr. Mohammad Fityan.

In turn, the director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at the University of California in San Diego (USA), Dr. Catriona Jamieson, said about tests on the ISS of a drug that prevents cancer cells from cloning. "During the Ax-3 mission, we discovered that it is a cancer-killing agent. This time, we will test it on cancer cells from patients to see if it is equally effective in a wide range of cancers and whether stem cells are stressed in space," she added.

The 25 Hungarian experiments in orbit will include, according to the Director of Research and Development of the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program, Dr. Balázs Nagy, research on the effects of space conditions on the human microbiome, the behavior of low-melting-point metals in next-generation ion propulsion systems, or microfluidic chips for testing drugs in space.

Dr Angelique Van Ombergen said ESA's plans were far into the future. "We are currently pursuing the 'Explore 2040' strategy, which is that we want to do long-term research in lower Earth orbit, but we also want to go beyond it. We want to go to the Moon and eventually to Mars," she said.

As Dr. Lucie Low pointed out, research that may seem simple and easy on Earth can be extremely complicated in space. "That is why all our partners and teams are aware that they have to translate what they do into activities that can be performed in a microgravity environment. (...) Many analyses and conclusions about the actual results of the research can only appear after returning to Earth. I think that all the research conducted within Ax-4 is exciting, but also very difficult," she concluded.

Axiom Space announced on Tuesday that the Ax-4 mission is scheduled to launch on May 29. It consists of: Peggy Whitson (USA) – commander; Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland/ESA) – specialist; Shubhanshu Shukla (India) – pilot and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) – specialist. The astronauts are to spend 14 days on the station.

The Ax-4 mission will be the next commercial manned expedition carried out by Axiom Space. The participation of a Pole in it is the result of an agreement signed between the Ministry of Development and Technology and ESA for the preparation and conduct of the Polish scientific and technological mission IGNIS to the ISS. The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) is also involved in the preparations as an executive agency of the Ministry of Development and Technology.

Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski will be the second Pole in space. The first was Mirosław Hermaszewski (1941-2022), who, on June 27 - July 5, 1978, together with Piotr Klimuk (Soviet cosmonaut of Belarusian nationality), flew on the Soyuz 30 spacecraft. During the 8-day mission, 126 orbits of the Earth were completed.

Science in Poland, Anna Bugajska (PAP)

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