Houston-based Axiom Space has announced the four crew members for its fourth commercial human spaceflight mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Three international astronauts will join former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who will be the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) commander: pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Polish mission specialist Sławosz Uznański of the European Space Agency (ESA), and mission specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. This will be the first time that a Polish astronaut will head to space in more than 40 years.
Axiom Space lauded the mission as part of its ongoing mission to expand global access to space. "Ax-4 represents Axiom Space's continued efforts to build opportunity for countries to research, innovate, test, and engage with people around the world while in low-Earth orbit," Michael Suffredini, former CEO and member of the Axiom Space board of directors, said in a statement. "This mission broadens horizons for nations with ambitious goals of advancing scientific, technological, and economic pursuits.
The aims of this mission include conducting more scientific research, demonstrating technology on the orbital outpost and the continued commercialization of space. Through collaboration between the international partners, Axiom Space hopes to highlight each nation as leaders throughout the space industry by combining resources, knowledge, and opportunities.
"Our collaboration with ESA for a second time and the inclusion of Hungary and India underscores Axiom Space's ability to cultivate global partners, expand the scope of exploration, and open up new avenues to grow a global space economy," Suffredini said in the statement.
Peggy Whitson, commander of Ax-4, will be flying on her fifth overall mission to space and her second on behalf of Axiom Space. In the same statement, the record-holding astronaut and former Chief Astronaut for NASA lauded the international opportunities that the company continues to bring to the ISS.
"I look forward to commanding my second commercial human spaceflight mission with Axiom Space," Whitson said. "With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration. Our previous missions set the stage. Axiom Mission 1 was the first all-private mission to the space station, Axiom Mission 2 launched the first Saudi female to space, and Axiom Mission 3 included both the first Turkish astronaut and first ESA astronaut to fly on a commercial space mission.
"Now, with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing even more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity's reach among the stars."
The launch date to the ISS is scheduled for no earlier than October 2024 from Kennedy Space Center Florida and will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon9. The crew will spend up to 14 days on the ISS conducting research.
