Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), successfully launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:31 am Eastern Time (12 Noon IST) on June 25, 2025.

The mission utilises a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket and is scheduled to autonomously dock with the ISS at approximately 7 am Eastern Time (4 pm IST) on June 26, 2025.

The Ax-4 crew represents a historic milestone in international human spaceflight. Commanded by Peggy Whitson, a veteran former NASA astronaut and current director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, the crew includes Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as pilot, marking his first spaceflight and making him the first member of India's astronaut corps to fly to space since the country's Soviet-era mission in 1984.

The mission specialists are Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. For Poland and Hungary, this mission also marks a return to government-sponsored human spaceflight after more than four decades, and it is the first time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary are flying together to the ISS as part of a government-sponsored mission.

Upon arrival at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew will be welcomed by NASA’s Expedition Crew and will embark on a 14-day mission focused on scientific research, technology demonstrations, and outreach activities. 

The mission will conduct approximately 60 scientific studies and activities, the most ever for an Axiom Space mission, representing 31 countries including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and several European nations.

These studies will cover a broad range of topics such as muscle regeneration, the cultivation of edible microalgae and sprouts, the survival of aquatic organisms in space, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity. The mission also features significant collaboration between NASA and ISRO, highlighting the growing global partnerships in space research.

A notable technological advancement in Ax-4 is the use of the new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, which provides enhanced capabilities for space exploration and is designed to support NASA’s Artemis program for lunar missions. The AxEMU is engineered to accommodate a diverse range of astronauts and offers robust, high-performing protection and mobility for extravehicular activities.

The Ax-4 mission underscores the expanding role of commercial and international cooperation in space exploration, demonstrating how private missions can advance scientific knowledge and foster global unity.

As Commander Whitson stated, the mission is a testament to the shared aspirations and collaborative spirit of nations reaching beyond borders to pursue science and exploration. This mission not only advances microgravity research but also sets a precedent for future government-sponsored and commercial missions involving diverse international crews.

Agencies