Private spaceflight takes another bold leap as Axiom Mission 4 prepares to launch a globally diverse crew to the International Space Station for science, education, and innovation in orbit.
Key Points at a Glance
- Axiom Mission 4 launches June 10 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center
- Commander Peggy Whitson leads a crew featuring astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary
- The mission supports joint NASA-ISRO research and international STEM experiments
- It marks the first space station stays for astronauts from Poland and Hungary
- NASA supports station operations while SpaceX and Axiom manage launch and transport
At precisely 8:22 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 10, the next chapter in private space exploration will ignite as Axiom Mission 4 lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Powered by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the mission is a collaboration between Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX—and it’s rewriting the playbook for international cooperation in orbit.
The four-member crew will fly aboard a brand-new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11. Onboard are astronauts representing four nations: the United States, India, Poland, and Hungary—marking the first time astronauts from Poland and Hungary will live aboard the station.
The crew is led by Peggy Whitson, a veteran NASA astronaut and current director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space. Joining her as pilot is Shubhanshu Shukla, an astronaut from ISRO, India’s space agency. European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary round out the team as mission specialists. Their journey exemplifies global cooperation at a time when space is increasingly commercial, collaborative, and crucial.
The launch also realizes a diplomatic vision made under a U.S.-India agreement championed by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi: to send the first ISRO astronaut to the ISS. The mission will advance five joint NASA-ISRO scientific investigations and include two STEM demonstrations conducted live from orbit, bridging continents with science and education.
For NASA, the mission represents an evolution of its strategy to build a thriving commercial ecosystem in low Earth orbit. By supporting integrated operations—especially once the crew arrives at the ISS—NASA enables private entities like Axiom and SpaceX to take the reins of launch and transport, while the agency focuses its sights further into the solar system.
Coverage of the mission will be available through NASA+, Axiom Space, and SpaceX channels, with streaming set to begin at 6:15 a.m. on launch day. NASA will join live at 7:25 a.m. and provide updates during docking and crew integration into the ISS. Arrival coverage on June 11 begins at 10:30 a.m., extending through hatch opening and welcome remarks from the orbiting crew.
“This is more than a launch. It’s the opening of space to global talent and new scientific horizons,” said Claire O’Shea of NASA Headquarters. With the ISS acting as both a science lab and a proving ground for future Moon and Mars missions, Axiom Mission 4 is both a symbolic and practical leap forward in humanity’s space journey.
Source: NASA
