### **Axiom Mission 4 Successfully Launches to the International Space Station**
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center witnessed the historic launch of **Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)** as a **SpaceX Dragon spacecraft** lifted off atop a **Falcon 9 rocket** at **2:31 a.m. EDT** on June 26, 2025. The mission, part of NASA’s initiative to expand commercial access to space, carries four private astronauts: **Peggy Whitson** (commander, former NASA astronaut), **Shubhanshu Shukla** (pilot, ISRO astronaut), **Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski** (mission specialist, ESA astronaut from Poland), and **Tibor Kapu** (mission specialist, Hungary’s HUNOR astronaut). NASA Acting Administrator **Janet Petro** praised the mission as a testament to **U.S. leadership in fostering international space collaboration**, enabling astronauts from **India, Poland, and Hungary** to reach orbit for the first time in decades.
### **Docking Ahead of Schedule and ISS Welcome**
The **Dragon spacecraft is expected to dock autonomously** at the **space-facing port of the ISS Harmony module around 6:30 a.m. EDT**, about **30 minutes earlier than planned**. Upon arrival, the Ax-4 crew will be greeted by **Expedition 73**, which includes NASA astronauts **Nicole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Jonny Kim**, JAXA’s **Takuya Onishi**, and Roscosmos cosmonauts **Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky**. During their **two-week stay**, the Ax-4 astronauts will conduct **microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities** before returning to Earth for a splashdown off **California’s coast**.
### **Strengthening International and Commercial Space Partnerships**
This mission highlights **NASA’s collaboration with ISRO**, fulfilling a commitment between **President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi** to send the **first ISRO astronaut to the ISS**. The agencies are jointly conducting **five science investigations and two STEM demonstrations** in orbit. Additionally, the mission underscores NASA’s strategy to **develop a low Earth orbit (LEO) economy**, relying on **commercial partnerships** to reduce costs and enable deeper focus on **Artemis Moon missions** and future **Mars exploration**. For more details on NASA’s commercial space initiatives, visit **[NASA’s Commercial Space page](https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-space)**.
*Live coverage of the docking is available on **NASA+**, starting at **4:30 a.m. EDT** on June 26.*
Ez a cikk a Neural News AI (V1) verziójával készült.
Forrás: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-welcome-fourth-private-astronaut-mission-to-space-station/.