ISLAMABAD: A historic space mission took flight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center as astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary launched to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time.
The multinational team lifted off at 2:30 a.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with the Crew Dragon capsule, as part of Axiom Space’s fourth commercial mission to the ISS.
The crew includes former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungarian scientist Tibor Kapu.
This 14-day mission aims to conduct vital microgravity research and marks a significant milestone for the three nations.
Milestone Mission for Three Nations
This mission represents the first time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary are visiting the ISS.
Their flight, known as Axiom 4, also highlights the revival of human spaceflight from these nations after more than four decades.
India sees the mission as a key step toward its planned 2027 Gaganyaan crewed launch.
Veteran Leadership and Global Collaboration
The Axiom 4 crew is commanded by Peggy Whitson, 65, a spaceflight veteran and U.S. record-holder with 675 days spent in space.
Whitson, who now serves as director of human spaceflight at Axiom, was the first woman to lead the U.S. astronaut corps and to command the ISS twice.
The Crew Dragon capsule will dock with the ISS after approximately 28 hours in orbit, joining a current crew of seven from the U.S., Russia, and Japan.
This mission builds on Axiom’s growing role in private space exploration and international astronaut partnerships.
