CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX on Thursday launched a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station on a mission organized by Axiom Space, marking the company’s fourth privately funded astronaut flight to the orbiting laboratory, according to SpaceX, Axiom Space and NASA.
The mission, known as Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew consists of commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, mission officials said.
Axiom Space said the flight represents the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland and Hungary, with each nation sending a government-sponsored astronaut to space for the first time in more than four decades. The mission is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station approximately one day after launch.
The crew is expected to spend about two weeks aboard the station conducting scientific research, technology demonstrations and educational outreach activities. Mission organizers said the astronauts will participate in dozens of experiments in microgravity during their stay.
The launch followed several delays in the weeks leading up to the mission. SpaceX, Axiom Space and NASA had adjusted launch schedules as teams reviewed technical and operational issues and assessed conditions related to the space station, according to the companies and NASA updates cited by media reports.
In a statement released by Axiom Space after liftoff, Whitson said the mission demonstrated international cooperation in human spaceflight.
“This mission shows that space exploration is no longer limited to a few nations — it’s a shared effort that reflects the best of what we can achieve together,” Whitson said.
The mission is part of Axiom Space’s broader effort to expand commercial activity in low-Earth orbit and support development of a future commercial space station. SpaceX provides the launch vehicle and spacecraft, while NASA supports operations involving the International Space Station.
As of Thursday, the Dragon spacecraft was in orbit following a successful launch and was proceeding toward its planned rendezvous with the International Space Station, according to SpaceX and Axiom Space.
