In a major milestone for global space exploration, astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary were launched into space early Wednesday for their nations’ first mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Axiom-4 mission, organized by Texas-based Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX, took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:30 a.m. EDT (0630 GMT).
The crew of four includes NASA veteran Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
The team will spend 14 days aboard the ISS, conducting scientific research in microgravity.
This flight marks Whitson’s fifth mission to space. She is now a private astronaut and Director of Human Spaceflight for Axiom Space. Whitson has already logged 675 days in space, a U.S. record.
The astronauts rode aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket.
The spacecraft reached preliminary orbit just nine minutes after launch.
“We’ve had an incredible ride uphill,” Whitson told mission control after reaching orbit.
The capsule, nicknamed “Grace”, is expected to dock with the ISS in 28 hours.
They will be welcomed by the current crew of seven astronauts from the U.S., Japan, and Russia.
The mission represents a significant leap forward for India, Poland, and Hungary. Each nation returns to human spaceflight after more than four decades.
Shukla, a pilot in the Indian Air Force, is viewed as a precursor to India’s Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for 2027.
This is the fourth private mission to the ISS by Axiom Space since 2022.
The company plans to build a commercial space station to succeed the ISS by 2030.
Wednesday’s launch also marked SpaceX’s 18th human spaceflight, showcasing the growing influence of private-sector players in space exploration.
As nations expand access to space, missions like Axiom-4 show how public-private partnerships are reshaping the future of orbit.
