Washington, D.C. [US], June 9 (ANI): The Ax-4 crew and SpaceX teams have successfully completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities ahead of their scheduled liftoff on Tuesday, June 10, according to a post by SpaceX on their official X (formerly Twitter) account.
“The Ax-4 crew and SpaceX teams completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities ahead of liftoff on Tuesday,” SpaceX stated.
The Ax-4 mission, organized by Axiom Space, features an international crew from the United States, India, Poland, and Hungary. Representing India is Ax-4 mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, whose participation was announced by Axiom Space via their X handle, with further acknowledgment from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The mission is targeted for launch at 8:22 a.m. ET on Tuesday, June 10, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The International Space Station also acknowledged the upcoming mission on its official X handle.
According to Axiom Space, the Ax-4 mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While this will be the second human spaceflight mission in history for each of these countries, it is the first time all three will conduct a mission aboard the International Space Station.
This historic mission underscores Axiom Space’s role in redefining access to low-Earth orbit and strengthening national space programs globally.
The Ax-4 crew includes astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, making this each nation’s first mission to the space station and only their second government-sponsored human spaceflight since the 1980s.
Shubhanshu Shukla will become India’s second national astronaut to go to space since 1984. Slawosz Uznanski, a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut, will be the second Polish astronaut since 1978. Tibor Kapu will be the second national astronaut from Hungary since 1980.
Veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will command her second commercial human spaceflight mission. Whitson already holds the U.S. record for the longest cumulative time spent in space by any American astronaut.
Ax-4 is also notable as the second commercial spaceflight mission composed of government and ESA-sponsored national astronauts. It stands as a beacon of opportunity for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each country aiming to use the mission to further develop its national space program.
The Ax-4 research complement includes approximately 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, and several European nations.
According to Axiom Space, this marks the highest number of research and science-related activities conducted on any of their missions to the International Space Station, underscoring the mission’s global importance and its role in advancing microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
The mission’s scientific priorities are led by the United States, India, Poland (in partnership with ESA), and Hungary. The initiative aims to increase participation in these countries by involving a wide range of stakeholders, promoting the value of microgravity research, and fostering international collaboration.
The Ax-4 studies are expected to contribute significantly to global knowledge in human health, Earth observation, life sciences, biological sciences, and materials research—demonstrating the evolving space research capabilities of each participating nation.
(ANI)
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