SpaceX Prepares to Launch Mission with Four Astronauts from Three Countries

SpaceX has scheduled the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket with the Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station for Tuesday, June 10.

This is reported by UNN with reference to Satnews.

Details

The Ax-4 mission will send astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary to low Earth orbit and the ISS for the first time.

Ax-4 will ensure the renewal of India's, Poland's and Hungary's participation in manned flights to the ISS

NASA adds that the Dragon spacecraft will perform a series of maneuvers before docking with the station the next morning, June 11, at approximately 7:30 p.m. Ukrainian time.

More than 60 research experiments and commercial programs will be conducted on board, covering countries such as the United States, India, Poland, Hungary and others. The mission also aims to lay the foundation for the Axiom commercial space station by 2030.

Additionally

Satnews reports on the Axiom Mission 4 crew:

• Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a distinguished pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has been selected as one of four astronauts for the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) historic Gaganyaan mission – the country's first-ever manned spaceflight.
• Peggy Whitson, Ph.D., America's most experienced astronaut, served as commander of Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), the second all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
• Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland is a scientist and engineer who has made significant contributions to the field of science and space exploration.
• Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer from Hungary, is a mission specialist for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). As for the technical aspects, the carrier has a Crew Dragon C213 spacecraft installed – the fifth and last vessel of its type.

NASA emphasizes that this mission is one part of the preparation for an autonomous business office in space.

Reference

Axiom Space is a private space company that organizes commercial flights to the ISS. Through cooperation with NASA and partners, the company plans to create its own space station after the end of the ISS service.

In conclusion

As UNN reported, the last launch of the private manned mission, Ax-3, took place in 2024, and now SpaceX continues to fulfill a number of contracts for NASA under the commercial space transportation program.