Preliminary results from the Astro Performance experiment, a Polish study tied to the Ignis mission to the International Space Station, suggest that microgravity may have had measurable effects on the health and physical performance of two astronauts, including Poland's Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski.
Researchers said they collected more than 14,000 health data points from the crew and are now using artificial intelligence to help process the findings.
The study examined Uznański-Wiśniewski and a second crew member whose identity was not disclosed.
Each astronaut underwent hours of testing twice, once six months before the mission and once a month after it ended. The examinations included blood tests, body composition analysis, magnetic resonance imaging, exercise testing and performance assessments.
To help separate the effects of spaceflight from the impact of training, stress and travel across time zones, the researchers also followed a control group of 10 people on Earth who completed a similar medical protocol and followed specific health guidelines.
Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. Photo: Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education
“Thanks to this, we want to distinguish the changes that occur directly under the influence of microgravity from those resulting from intensive preparation, stress or changes in time zones,” Norbert Kapiński of Smarter Diagnostics said.
So far, the researchers have identified 15 significant deviations in the metabolic panel, 19 in movement analysis, and 11 in body structure.
Kapiński said some of the differences between the pre- and post-mission tests were striking. Among them was a decline in some stabilographic measures, which are used to assess balance and motor coordination.
One example was greater difficulty maintaining balance while standing on one leg with closed eyes.
The team also recorded meaningful changes in muscle strength in the lower-limb joints and significant differences in hip bone density.
“In microgravity, bones and muscles weaken very quickly, and the astronauts on this mission had a rather limited physical exercise program,” Kapiński said.
Researchers also reported a jump in insulin levels and changes in vitamin D.
Kapiński said those findings suggest that supplementation and nutrition strategies during training, the mission itself, and recovery after return to Earth may need closer review.
The health analysis is part of a broader effort to build an automated diagnostic platform. The system uses artificial intelligence tools trained earlier on data from 3,000 athletes, and the researchers are now adapting it for space medicine.
“Our technology is based on specialized AI agents. Some analyze MRI scans, others body composition or blood results,” Kapiński said. “We want a specialist to receive a ready summary of important anomalies, instead of having to analyze thousands of tables, images or descriptions.”
If the current experience is used well, he said, Poland has a chance to become an important center for space medicine.
According to the project team, similar tools could in the future support the military and other uniformed services. The researchers are now preparing a proof of concept version of the platform, which they plan to present at international astronautical conferences.
Kapiński said the number of space missions is expected to rise sharply in the coming years, driven in part by NASA’s Artemis program and the growth of space tourism.
He argued that no doctor will be able to analyze such large volumes of incoming medical data fast enough without technological support.
Ignis, Latin for "fire," was Poland’s technological and scientific mission on Axiom Space’s private Axiom-4 (Ax-4) flight.
During roughly two weeks on orbit the Polish astronaut conducted 13 experiments, including EEG neurofeedback training to reduce stress and maintain focus in microgravity, a Human Gut Microbiota study on how spaceflight affects digestion and mood, Immune Multiomics to map how immunity changes in weightlessness, and LeopardISS, which tested onboard artificial intelligence to analyse data without an internet link, a step toward more autonomous missions.
Ax-4 launched on June 25, 2025 and docked with the International Space Station on June 26. The crew flew aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule and returned to Earth on July 15.
The rest of the Ax-4 crew included American commander Peggy Whitson, Indian pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Hungarian specialist Tibor Kapu.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP