Entire docking exercise completed in 13 minutesExplaining the slow capture of Grace by the docking mechanism of the ISS, experts said the relative speed at which the Ax-4 mission spacecraft was gaining on the ISS was slower than a human walk although the speeds that the space laboratory and the spacecraft were doing was a whopping 7.5 km per second, revolving the Earth every 90 minutes.Incidentally, soon after docking, Ax-4 astronauts experienced a minor technical glitch with their communication system, needing five additional minutes before commencing the hatch opening procedures to enter the ISS. The entire docking exercise was completed in 13 minutes, of which the exercise of establishing power connections between Grace and ISS took two minutes. The docking took place when the ISS was over the North Atlantic at an altitude of 400 km.Experts said that over the next two weeks, the Ax-4 mission crew members will undertake 60 listed experiments, conduct live classes and interact with students, VIPs and experts on the Earth. Shukla will conduct seven experiments, which will include investigating impacts of spaceflight on six varieties of crop seeds to help understand how crops grow in space for future exploration missions; comparing two strains of cyanobacteria to investigate growth rates, cellular responses, and biochemical activity in microgravity; studying the impact of microgravity on seed germination and growth of crop seeds; investigating the impact of microgravity on the growth, metabolism, and genetic activity of microalgae as compared to that on Earth; identifying pathways responsible for skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and exploring therapeutic target strategies; studying physical and cognitive impact of utilizing computer screens in microgravity; Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) outreach activities for Indian students; and probing revival, survival, and reproduction of tardigrades (microanimals known for their extreme resilience in challenging environments, including in space).
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