The upcoming Ax-4 mission, launched by Axiom Space and scheduled for liftoff on Tuesday, June 10, is set to mark a major milestone in global space exploration. With astronauts representing India, Poland, and Hungary, the mission will be the first government-sponsored human spaceflight for all three nations in over 40 years—and their first-ever visit to the International Space Station (ISS).
Ahead of launch, SpaceX confirmed that the Ax-4 crew and its teams successfully completed a full rehearsal of launch day operations. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:22 a.m. ET from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Among the crew is Shubhanshu Shukla, who will become India’s second astronaut in space since 1984. He joins Slawosz Uznanski of Poland, an ESA project astronaut and the second Pole to enter space since 1978, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, marking his country’s second such mission since 1980. The crew is commanded by Peggy Whitson, who already holds the record for the most cumulative time spent in space by an American astronaut.
Axiom Space emphasized that this mission not only resumes human spaceflight for the three participating nations but also highlights their emergence as active players in low-Earth orbit exploration. The Ax-4 crew will carry out approximately 60 scientific experiments and activities representing 31 countries, making it the most research-intensive mission in Axiom’s history.
India, Poland (in partnership with ESA), and Hungary will spearhead a diverse scientific agenda alongside contributions from countries including the U.S., Brazil, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Research areas will include human health, material sciences, biological studies, and Earth observation, significantly boosting global understanding of science in microgravity.
The Ax-4 mission is also the second commercial spaceflight composed entirely of government- and ESA-sponsored astronauts, reaffirming Axiom’s role in expanding international access to space and strengthening national space programs.
With its multinational crew and historic significance, the Ax-4 mission stands as a beacon of international cooperation, scientific ambition, and renewed spaceflight legacy for three nations making their return to the stars.
