NASA Confirms Crew for Private Axiom Mission 4 to ISS

Multinational crew comprises astronauts from the U.S., India, Poland, and Hungary.

Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 04:52 PM ET

Verified

Hungary’s Tibor Kapu (from left), India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, Axiom’s Peggy Whitson, and Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski comprise the crew of Axiom Mission 4. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

NASA and international partners have approved Axiom Mission Four (Ax-4), the fourth commercial astronaut mission to the ISS, scheduled to launch this spring aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.
The Ax-4 crew, led by Peggy Whitson, will conduct microgravity research and technology demonstrations, with the mission notably featuring the first astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to live and work on the ISS.
This mission highlights NASA's increasing reliance on private astronaut missions to expand access to low-Earth orbit and Axiom Space's growing role in commercial space, including developing future spacesuits and a commercial space station.

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NASA and its panel of international partners overseeing operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have signed off on the crew of Axiom Mission Four—the fourth commercial astronaut mission to the ISS for Axiom Space.

The mission, called Ax-4 for short, will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than this spring, the partners said Wednesday. Arriving at the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, the astronauts will spend about two weeks on the orbital laboratory conducting microgravity research and demonstrating new technology.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.