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Axiom Mission 4

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Axiom Mission 4
Artists' impression of a Crew Dragon approaching the forward port of Harmony on the ISS.
NamesAx-4
Mission typePrivate spaceflight to the ISS
Operator
Mission duration14–21 days (planned)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCrew Dragon C213
Spacecraft typeCrew Dragon
ManufacturerSpaceX
Crew
Crew size4
Members
Start of mission
Launch dateNET May 29, 2025 17:00 UTC (1:00 pm EDT)
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
Launch siteKennedy, LC‑39A
End of mission
Recovered byMV Shannon
Landing sitePacific Ocean near Los Angeles, Oceanside, or San Diego
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony Zenith


Top: Axiom mission patch
Bottom left: Uznański-Wiśniewski's Ignis mission patch
Bottom right: Kapu's Hunor mission patch
Axiom Space missions

Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4) is a planned private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) operated by Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX and NASA.[1] The flight is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center no earlier than May 29, 2025 at 17:00 UTC (1:00 pm EDT, local time at the launch site), and will last about two to three weeks. It will use a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to place Crew Dragon C213 into low Earth orbit. This will be the maiden flight of the C213 spacecraft, the fifth—and potentially final—Crew Dragon to be built.[2][3]

The crew of four consists of Commander Peggy Whitson, an Axiom employee; Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation; and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a European Space Agency project astronaut from Poland, and Tibor Kapu representing the Hungarian Space Office.[4]

Crew

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The flight crew will include veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu.[4]

Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first of India's astronaut corps to fly to space.

Prime crew
Position[5] Astronaut
Commander United States Peggy Whitson, Axiom Space
Fifth spaceflight
Pilot India Shubhanshu Shukla, ISRO
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Poland Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, ESA/POLSA
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Hungary Tibor Kapu, HSO
First spaceflight
Backup crew
Position Astronaut
Commander United States / Spain Michael López-Alegría, Axiom Space
Pilot India Prasanth Nair, ISRO
Mission Specialist 2 Hungary Gyula Cserényi, HSO

Gaganyaan

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Ax‑4 represents a milestone for India’s human spaceflight program, integrating with ISRO’s Gaganyaan initiative. While Gaganyaan remains India’s independent crewed program, Ax‑4 provides the first opportunity for an Indian astronaut—Shubhanshu Shukla—to fly on a commercial mission to the ISS. Shukla will conduct experiments developed by ISRO and Indian institutions, including studies of cognitive effects of screen use, microbial adaptation, muscle atrophy, and crop resilience in microgravity.[6][7]

Ignis

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For Poland, Ax‑4 is the first crewed mission since 1980. The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have partnered on the Ignis mission for astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. His payload suite includes experiments in technology and life sciences.[8][9][10] One experiment, the KP Labs Leopard Data Processing Unit, will demonstrate AI‑based data processing in orbit to reduce ground infrastructure requirements.[11]

The Ignis mission has its own patch, separate from the Axiom Mission 4 patch, depicting an eagle in the Polish colors whose wings trace the contours of the Orla Perć mountain range and a stylized depiction of the Scutum constellation (a tribute to Johannes Hevelius) over the mission's name, Ignis, the Latin word for fire.[12]

HUNOR

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Ax‑4 will also carry Hungary's first astronaut since the fall of the Soviet Union. Although Hungary is also part of the ESA, the HUNOR (short for HUNgarian to ORbit) mission was developed by the Hungarian Space Office (HSO) completely independent of the ESA.[13] HUNOR was first announced in 2021 and in July 2022 the Hungarian foreign ministry signed a preliminary deal with Axiom for the flight,[13] which was finalized in September 2023.[13] Tibor Kapu was selected from 247 applicants to fly on the mission, supported by backup astronaut Gyula Cserényi.[14] Kapu is a mechanical engineer and recreational skydiver, Cserényi is an electrical engineer and amateur steeplechase racer.[15] Both completed their NASA training in April 2025.[16]

The HUNOR mission has its own patch, separate from the Axiom Mission 4 patch, depicting the Csodaszarvas and four stars representing the final astronaut candidates.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "NASA Selects Axiom Space for Another Private Space Mission in 2024 – NASA". Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  2. ^ Foust, Jeff (November 19, 2022). "SpaceX to launch last new cargo Dragon spacecraft". SpaceNews. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  3. ^ Berger, Eric (February 6, 2025). "NASA will swap Dragon spacecraft on the ground to return Butch and Suni sooner". Ars Technica. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Foust, Jeff (August 5, 2024). "Hungary and Poland to join India on Ax-4". SpaceNews. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  5. ^ "Axiom Mission 4 to ISS will include India, Poland, Hungary". Axiom Space (Press release). August 5, 2024. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  6. ^ "Ax-4 Research Overview". Axiom Space. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  7. ^ "Gaganyaan – India's Human Spaceflight Program". ISRO. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  8. ^ "First Polish mission to International Space Station to launch in spring 2025". notesfrompoland. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  9. ^ "Polish mission to the International Space Station has received its official name – Ignis". researchinpoland.org. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  10. ^ ""Ignis" Mission: Poland's Historic Leap into Space". gov.pl. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  11. ^ "KP Labs Announces LeopardISS Experiment to Join the Polish Mission on the International Space Station". spaceagency. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  12. ^ "N° 68–2024: ESA and Poland reveal 'Ignis' as name of Polish mission to International Space Station". European Space Agency. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "Axiom Mission 4 to ISS will include India, Poland, Hungary". Axiom Space. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  14. ^ "Tibor Kapu". Axiom Space. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  15. ^ "The second Hungarian astronaut who is going into space also graduated from BME". bme.hu. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  16. ^ "Hungarian Astronauts Complete NASA Training Ahead of Axiom Mission 4". HungarianConservative.com.
  17. ^ "Axiom Mission 4 to ISS will include India, Poland, Hungary". Axiom Space. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
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