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Axiom-4 Crew Launches for Historic Space Mission
CAPE CANAVERAL: Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who now works as a private astronaut, embarked on her fifth space mission early Wednesday, accompanied by crewmates from Hungary, India, and Poland. This launch marks a significant milestone for all three countries, representing their first astronauts heading to the International Space Station (ISS).
The crew lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, around 2:30 AM EDT (0630 GMT). Their mission is organized by Axiom Space, a Texas-based company, in collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The four-person team was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket equipped with a Crew Dragon capsule. Live footage captured the rocket as it ascended into the night sky, trailing a brilliant plume of exhaust.
This launch comes after Elon Musk previously hinted at retiring the Crew Dragon following a political spat with former President Donald Trump, who threatened to revoke contracts with Musk’s companies.
The Axiom-4 mission is set for a roughly 28-hour journey to the ISS, where the Crew Dragon will dock with the space station, orbiting approximately 250 miles (around 400 km) above Earth. If all goes smoothly, the crew will be welcomed aboard by the seven current inhabitants of the ISS, which includes three American astronauts, one from Japan, and three Russian cosmonauts.
Whitson, 65, leads the Axiom-4 crew alongside Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force pilot; Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a 41-year-old from Poland; and Tibor Kapu, 33, from Hungary. Together, they are anticipated to spend two weeks on the ISS conducting research in microgravity.
This mission marks the fourth human spaceflight Axiom has arranged since 2022, enhancing its portfolio of sending astronauts from private companies and international governments into orbital space.
The Axiom-4 launch signifies a return to human spaceflight for Hungary, Poland, and India after more than four decades. For India, Shukla’s participation is viewed as a stepping stone towards its upcoming Gaganyaan crewed mission planned for 2027.
Whitson, who retired from NASA in 2018 after being the first woman to serve as the agency’s chief astronaut, holds the American record for the most cumulative days spent in space, totaling 675 days. She has commanded missions to the ISS and is now the director of human spaceflight at Axiom.
Originally slated for lift-off on Tuesday, the Axiom-4 mission was delayed by a day due to adverse weather conditions.
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