Florida [US], June 24 (ANI): NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are targeting a Wednesday, June 25 launch for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The liftoff is scheduled for 2:31 a.m. EDT (Noon IST) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The crew will travel aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is expected to dock with the ISS around 7 a.m. on Thursday, June 26.
The launch was initially scheduled for June 22 but was postponed to allow additional time to evaluate the station’s readiness following recent repairs to the Zvezda service module. Due to the highly interconnected systems on the orbital laboratory, NASA is carefully reviewing operational data to ensure safe accommodation of the incoming crew.
Highlighting the mission’s global significance, the ISS acknowledged the historic nature of Ax-4 for India, Poland, and Hungary. This mission marks a return to human spaceflight for these countries after more than 40 years and represents their first government-sponsored journey to the ISS.
The Ax-4 crew remains in pre-launch quarantine in Florida and is prepared to fly as soon as clearance is confirmed. The four-member international team will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from India’s ISRO will serve as the mission’s pilot. The mission specialists include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, an ESA project astronaut from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
According to Axiom Space, the Ax-4 mission symbolizes a renewed era in human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary. It will be the second human spaceflight mission in the history of each country and their first aboard the ISS, marking a significant milestone in national space ambitions.
Ax-4 will also be the second commercial mission by Axiom Space composed entirely of government and ESA-sponsored astronauts. The mission is designed to deepen access to low-Earth orbit (LEO) for emerging national programs and enhance international cooperation in space.
Ax-4’s scientific portfolio will be the most comprehensive of any Axiom mission to date. The crew will conduct approximately 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including India, the US, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Brazil, UAE, and others across Europe. These projects aim to advance microgravity research across human health, Earth observation, life sciences, materials science, and more.
The mission underscores the collaborative potential of international partnerships in space and reaffirms the growing influence of countries like India in cutting-edge space exploration and scientific innovation. (ANI)
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