Top News

The Axe-4 crew and SpaceX teams have completed a full rehearsal of launch day procedures ahead of their scheduled lift-off on Tuesday, June 10, SpaceX announced in a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

“The Axe-4 crew and SpaceX teams completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities ahead of liftoff on Tuesday," the company stated.

Representing India on this mission is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who will serve as the Axe-44 mission pilot. His participation was announced by Axiom Space on their official X handle, with additional recognition from ISRO.

The mission is scheduled to lift off at 8:22 am ET on June 10 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The International Space Station also acknowledged the upcoming mission on its X platform, highlighting its global relevance.

According to Axiom Space, Ax-4 marks a significant return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, each undertaking its first government-sponsored mission in over 40 years. While all three nations have sent humans to space before, this will be their first time aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

A Milestone For India’s Human Spaceflight Journey

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will become India’s second national astronaut to go to space since Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Similarly, Slawosz Uznanski of the European Space Agency (ESA) will be Poland’s second astronaut since 1978, and Tibor Kapu will be Hungary’s second since 1980.

Commanding the Axe-4 mission will be Peggy Whitson, a spaceflight veteran and record-holder for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut. This will also be her second time leading a commercial human spaceflight mission.

The Axiom-44 mission is also notable for being only the second commercial spaceflight made up entirely of government and ESA-sponsored astronauts, underscoring Axiom Space’s role in expanding international access to low-Earth orbit.

Science-Led Mission With Global Collaboration

ThAxe-4-4 crew will conduct approximately 60 scientific studies and research activities involving contributions from 31 countries, including the United States, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and several European nations.

According to Axiom Space, this marks the most research-intensive mission the company has launched to date aboard the ISS. The scientific focus spans human health, Earth observation, biology, materials science, and more.

The mission is expected to showcase how space-based research can directly benefit life on Earth while building capabilities across emerging spacefaring nations. Through this initiative, India, Poland, and Hungary aim to strengthen their national space programs and foster international scientific collaboration.