With the undocking of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) from the International Space Station scheduled to take place no earlier than 4:35 p.m. (IST) on July 14, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla continued his experiments onboard the orbiting laboratory.

Axiom Space said the crew was making the most of its final days on orbit, pushing forward a wide range of experiments that could shape the future of space exploration and improve life on Earth.

It also said Group Captain Shukla worked on the microalgae experiment, deploying and stowing samples that could one day provide food, oxygen, and biofuels for deep space missions.

“Their resilience makes them a promising asset for sustaining life beyond Earth,” Axiom Space said.

Group Captain Shukla and the crew also continued the Voyager Displays study, which examines how spaceflight affects eye movement and coordination.

The crew collected data for the ENPERCHAR study, exploring how astronauts perceive and interact with their environment on orbit — critical for designing mentally supportive habitats for long-duration missions.

“Another study focused on cerebral blood flow, investigating how microgravity and elevated CO₂ levels affect cardiovascular function, which could later benefit both astronauts and patients on Earth. Radiation exposure was monitored using the compact Rad Nano Dosimeter, a tool for assessing astronaut safety,” Axiom Space said.

“Pending favorable weather conditions, the four-person international crew is scheduled to undock from the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module no earlier than Monday, July 14, at 7.05 a.m. ET. The crew will begin their journey home aboard SpaceX Dragon “Grace,” with splashdown off the coast of California,” Axiom Space said.

The crew took part in the Acquired Equivalence Test, a cognitive experiment that measures learning and adaptability in space, and supported the PhotonGrav study by collecting brain activity data to explore neuroadaptive technologies for space and medical applications.