On Tuesday, the 12th day of the IGNIS science and technology mission, Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski connected live with children and teenagers gathered at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw.
The event gave students the opportunity not only to observe scientific experiments performed in microgravity aboard the International Space Station (ISS), but also to interact directly with the astronaut during a live Q&A session.
This marked the fourth educational connection with Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). During the livestream, he conducted three physics experiments in microgravity, all proposed by students. The experiments involved water, foam, and coffee – materials chosen for their simple yet visually interesting behavior in zero gravity. While performing the experiments, the astronaut also answered students’ questions, explaining, for example, how oxygen is generated on the ISS and whether chocolate tastes different in space.
The session was also streamed on YouTube, with the conversation starting around the 30-minute mark.
The space station crew also continued work on the EEG Neurofeedback and AstroMentalHealth experiments. EEG Neurofeedback aims to examine how isolation and microgravity affect, among other things, the stress levels of astronauts. The AstroMentalHealth experiment investigates the impact of spaceflight on astronauts’ mental state and overall well-being.
Previous educational sessions took place in other Polish cities:
Łódź (July 2)
Wrocław (July 4)
Rzeszów (July 5)
Polish astronaut also held a virtual meeting with Polish government officials on July 2.
According to the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), as of now, 87% of the core mission objectives have already been completed. POLSA also announced that the thirteenth day of the mission will be a rest day, with no official activities scheduled.
Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, Ph: NASA Johnson Space Center / AXIOM SPACE via Wikimedia Commons
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