While most celebrated his flight, scientists are now poring over the radiation readings his mission captured; data that could define astronaut safety for decades. Unlike past missions where exposure was estimated, Shukla’s Ax-4 trip carried ultra-precise dosimeters that tracked every pulse of cosmic radiation, 24/7. Turns out, most radiation exposure happened while docked at the ISS; not during launch or re-entry. The transfer phases? Only 8.5% of total exposure. This changes how we design future missions, especially for private spaceflights now booming. For India’s Gaganyaan astronauts, this is gold. If we’re sending humans to space, we need to know exactly what they’re walking into. And thanks to an IAF officer’s 18-day journey, we’re no longer guessing; we’re measuring. The real mission? Protecting future astronauts from invisible threats.