The Axiom Space Ax-4 mission has received the green light, and its crew is preparing to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), with liftoff expected as early as this spring. Commanding the mission is NASA legend Peggy Whitson, joined by Indian pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Polish mission specialist Sławosz Uznański, and Hungarian researcher-astronaut Tibor Kapu, who was chosen for the mission last May through the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Program. The Ax-4 crew recently participated in their first official online press conference.
As part of the research portfolio currently under review by NASA, three research projects associated with the University of Szeged’s Centre of Excellence for Interdisciplinary Research, Development, and Innovation could be carried out at the International Space Station (ISS), pending final approval.
Led by Prof. Dr. Attila Gácser, one of the three research projects under review originates from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Szeged’s Faculty of Science and Informatics. The research focuses on optimizing DNA repair pathways in living organisms to enhance recovery from damage. Such repair mechanisms are particularly vital in space travel, where human DNA is exposed to various types of radiation, potentially leading to specific forms of genetic instability.
Another research project of the University of Szeged, also planned as part of the upcoming space mission, focuses on investigating how microorganisms – such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi – change within astronauts’ bodies. By tracking changes in the gut, urinary, and oral microbiomes, the research aims to provide deeper insights into microbial dynamics in space. Led by Dr. Dóra Tombácz, the project is based at the Department of Medical Biology within the University of Szeged’s Szent-Györgyi Albert Medical School.
To better understand cognitive adaptation in space, the Ax-4 astronauts will also undergo tests evaluating their associative learning abilities in both microgravity and Earth’s gravity. This research is led by Dr. Attila Nagy from the Department of Physiology at the University of Szeged’s Szent-Györgyi Albert Medical School. It is conducted in collaboration with the Department of Technical Informatics at the Faculty of Science and Informatics, as well as the Department of Theoretical Health Sciences and Health Management at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies.
The mission, which is expected to significantly facilitate the University of Szeged’s research efforts, will begin with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft launching from the Kennedy Space Center. Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, Sławosz Uznański, and Tibor Kapu will travel to the ISS aboard the spacecraft and are scheduled to spend 14 days on the station.
For more information, visit the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Program website.
Original Hungarian text by SZTEinfo
