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 the former POT astronaut Peggy WhitsonIndian pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Polish mission specialist Sławosz Uznański from the European Space Agency (ESA), and Hungarian mission specialist Tibor Kapu will be the commanders of the Axiom 4 (Ax-4) mission. It will be the first time that a Polish astronaut has travelled to space in more than 40 years.
Axiom Space praised the mission as part of its ongoing mission to expand global access to space. “Ax-4 represents Axiom Space’s ongoing efforts to create opportunities for countries to research, innovate, test, and interact with people around the world while in low-Earth orbit,” said Michael Suffredini, former CEO and board member of Axiom Space. in a sentence“This mission broadens the horizons of nations with ambitious goals of advancing in scientific, technological and economic matters.
The goals of this mission include conducting further scientific research, demonstrating technology at the orbital outpost, and continuing to commercialize space. Through collaboration among international partners, Axiom Space hopes to distinguish each nation as a leader across the space industry by combining resources, expertise, and opportunities.
“Our collaboration with ESA for the second time and the inclusion of Hungary and India underscore Axiom Space's ability to cultivate global partners, expand the scope of exploration and open new avenues to grow a global space economy,” Suffredini said in the statement.
Peggy Whitson, commander of AX-4, will fly 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 NASA chief astronaut praised the international opportunities the company continues to bring to the ISS.
“I look forward to commanding my second commercial crewed space 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 It was the first completely private mission to the space station. Axiom Mission 2 launched the first Saudi woman into space and Axiom Mission 3 It included both the first Turkish astronaut and the first ESA astronaut to fly on a commercial space mission.
“Now, with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing even more nations into low Earth orbit and expanding humanity's reach among the stars.”
The launch date to the ISS is scheduled for not before October 2024 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. The crew will spend up to 14 days on the International Space Station conducting research.
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