Axiom-4 Private Mission Launches June 10 with Multinational Crew to ISS

The Axiom-4 mission, a multinational crewed spaceflight organized by Axiom Space in partnership with NASA, is scheduled to launch on June 10 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The crew includes veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson as commander, Indian pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, and mission specialists from Poland and Hungary. The mission will conduct over 60 scientific studies on the International Space Station, focusing on areas such as cancer treatments, gut microbiology, bone health, and microgravity science, with Shukla carrying experiments designed by Indian institutions. The mission is notable for being the first government-sponsored flight for astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary in more than 40 years and the second human spaceflight for these countries. The crew will also engage in live interactions with Indian VIPs, students, and the space industry, including a planned session with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The launch was postponed from June 8 due to weather concerns and operational adjustments, highlighting the complexity and international collaboration of this commercial space endeavor.