Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is set to make history as the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) this year, will likely conduct at least three experiments, including research on muscle loss in space.

Minister of State (MoS) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said Mr Shukla will focus on "space technology, space bio-manufacturing and bio-astronautics" during the latter's fortnight-long space mission. The IAF officer will grow special micro-organisms in the football-sized space station to look for edible algae; grow special bacteria; and study effect on muscle cells, and understand why astronauts face muscle loss in space.

Medical experts have raised concerns over the health and muscle atrophy of Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who recently returned to Earth after a nine-month gruelling stay at the ISS.

"Space is an unforgiving environment and just becoming an astronaut does not change the basic human physiology," Dr Singh said.

Continuous availability of nutrients, preservation of food, microgravity, radiation, physiological changes and health hazards in space travellers, potable water and a way to clean and use waste in a sustainable way are some of the key challenges in space, he said. "It has been projected that by 2050, commercial space travel is going to become a reality and we need to be future-ready. To this end, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will jointly take up mission projects, focusing on simple space bio-manufacturing demonstration experiments," he added.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Mr Shukla will pilot the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private astronaut mission launching aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The American space agency is expected to launch the mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida possibly as early as May. The crew will conduct experiments, outreach programs and commercial activities in microgravity as part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO.

The third experiment will focus on the adverse effects of space conditions on the physiology of astronauts. (DBT)

Mr Singh said the micro-gravity environment will offer unique challenges. The Indian experiments, however, will aid the upcoming Gaganyaan and Bhartiya Antariksh Station programs, he said.

Providing details, the MoS said the first experiment will involve using some edible microalgae to grow them in space and see if they are found resilient in space conditions and can serve as a sustainable source of food like protein, carbohydrate, lipids and Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E for astronauts during extended space expeditions. These algae will be grown in enclosed containers and will be fed with water and carbon dioxide, adding that this experiment will be spearheaded by the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi.

The second experiment, also led by the ICGEB, will aim for waste-to-wealth creation in space. The urea present in the urine of the astronauts will be used to grow some blue-green algae named spirulina and a desert species called Chroococcidiopsis, the minister says. Resource recycling is critical in space as hauling material is extremely costly.

Mr Singh says the third experiment will be headed by the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (INSTEM), Bengaluru, and will focus on the adverse effects of space conditions on the physiology of astronauts, and how to mitigate them.

Reports suggest that astronauts experience up to 20% muscle loss in space flights lasting five to 11 days. On the other hand, muscle loss or Sarcopenia takes decades to develop on Earth. By using supplements in a muscle cell culture model, researchers are attempting to increase mitochondrial function, which is an important component in this condition. On Earth, this experiment is expected to help patients face similar muscle loss.

India's bio-economy has experienced remarkable growth - from $10 billion in 2014 to over $151 billion in 2023, with projections to reach $300 billion by 2030.

In a statement, the DBT said the collaboration with ISRO will advance space biotechnology research in India and contribute significantly to the space economy of our country. The space economy is expected to grow five times in the next 10 years, to around $44 billion.

One of the niche areas is space bio-manufacturing, which has immense commercial potential like "artificial organ development" that requires scaffolding on Earth to keep the tissue layers together. When experiments are conducted in space, the tissue layers do not fall apart and scaffolding is not required. DBT and ISRO will also look into organoids development in space, with a future goal of artificial organ development.

It may be noted that three very simple experiments to grow Lobia seed, bacteria and aggregates of spinach cells in space were done on an ISRO module called POEM earlier this year. These were the first biology-related experiments done by Indians in the microgravity of space.