Axiom-4 Crew Begins Life Aboard ISS, Sleeps Across Modules As Microgravity Research Kicks Off

ISS: A day after the successful docking of the Dragon aircraft at the International Space Station (ISS) under the Axiom-4 mission that took off in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft 'Grace,' the Axiom-4 and Expedition 73 crews are currently working together aboard the orbital outpost.

The seven crew members of 'Expedition 73' are helping Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, Slawosz Uznanski, and Tibor Kapu, accustom themselves to the orbital lab systems and prepare for their microgravity research.

Where Is The Axiom-4 Crew Sleeping?

After docking on June 26, the crew spent the day setting up their sleeping space in literally the space. Peggy Whitson took the 'Airlock,' Shubhanshu reserved the 'Dragon,' Uznanski took 'Columbus,' and Tibor settled in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM).

Also read: 11 Interesting Facts About ISS Where Shubhanshu Shukla Just Checked-in

What Did the Crew Do Later? 

Starting with completing the handover activities with the Expedition 73 crew and adapting to life in microgravity, the team unloaded sample-packed hardware and portable science freezers from inside Dragon for installation in station incubators and research refrigerators ahead of upcoming experiments.

Pivotal operational tasks including reviewing emergency protocols and joining the Expedition 73 crew to understand roles and responsibilities were also completed with ease. The crew was briefed on standard orbital safety procedures and the location of the station's emergency equipment.

Later, while flight engineer Anne McClain assisted the crew with station familiarization and cargo transfers, Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson shared a photograph of Earth's surreal beauty with the caption, "I’ve missed this view."

Expedition 73 maintained its daily research schedule, which included a space exercise study, eye exams, and lunar photography. The crew's day was also filled with cargo transfers and life support maintenance.