Fourth Private ISS Mission Completes With Diverse Crew

The fourth NASA-supported private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Axiom Mission 4, successfully concluded with a splashdown off the coast of California after about two and a half weeks in orbit. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts: Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Tibor Kapu, marking the first time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary traveled to space in over 40 years. Peggy Whitson, the mission commander and the most experienced American astronaut, extended her spaceflight record to 695 days. The crew conducted approximately 60 experiments in microgravity research, biology, material sciences, educational outreach, and commercial activities, including projects sponsored by countries not directly involved in the mission such as Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, and the UAE. This mission also advanced collaboration between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), fulfilling a commitment highlighted by President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the ISS. Axiom Space, which chartered the mission, is part of NASA's broader effort to commercialize low Earth orbit and develop private space stations to succeed the ISS, which is expected to be retired by 2030.