- Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is orbiting Earth, witnessing 16 sunsets and sunrises daily
- Shukla and Axiom-4 crew are setting up their temporary home and transferring cargo at ISS
- The crew is integrating with Expedition 73 and training on handover and emergency protocols
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is getting the incredible views of Mother Earth as he orbits the planet - seeing 16 sunsets and 16 sunrises. Mr Shukla and his Axiom-4 space mission colleagues are learning more about the safety at the International Space Station and shifting cargo, and essentially setting up their new but temporary home in space.
One of the astronauts, Peggy Whitson, posted a picture of Earth on X, saying she has "missed the view".
Mr Shukla is feeling well and continues his activities at the space station.
For Group Captain Shukla, day two at ISS will begin with setting up experiments. His first day was spent setting up his new home by shifting cargo from the Grace capsule to the space station. Mr Shukla is still learning and integrating with the Space-11 at the ISS.
According to Axiom Space, the Axiom crew continued adjusting to life in microgravity, and the crew focused on integration with the resident Expedition 73 crew. Together, they completed training on handover protocols and emergency procedures, ensuring seamless coordination. The crew transferred high-priority cargo and emergency equipment between Dragon and the space station. This included payloads, essential supplies, and safety gear, all carefully logged and stowed for operations.
The Ax-4 astronauts also began preparing for their research studies. They initiated setup for several experiments and began transferring samples to designated modules.
Looking ahead to tomorrow, the crew will continue finalising the setup for research and technology demonstrations.
According to NASA, on Friday, Ax-4 quickly got to work unloading sample-packed hardware and portable science freezers from inside Dragon for installation in station incubators and research refrigerators ahead of upcoming experiments. Station safety hardware was also temporarily transferred inside Dragon, as is customary for visiting spacecraft. The private astronaut quartet later joined the Expedition 73 crew for more safety reviews to learn their roles and responsibilities and communication protocols with mission controllers in the unlikely event of an emergency on the orbital outpost, the space agency said.
Meanwhile, Expedition 73 kept up its daily research schedule with a space exercise study, eye exams, and lunar photography. Cargo transfers and life support maintenance rounded out the crew's day.
There are eleven astronauts at the space station, hence the Space-11 are right now gelling up to become one weightless family.
