Axiom Space has officially confirmed the crew for its fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), known as Ax-4. The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 9:11 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 8, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch will be conducted aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket using the company’s Dragon spacecraft.
Ax-4 will mark another milestone in the growing commercial spaceflight sector, led by Axiom Space in collaboration with partners including NASA, SpaceX, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), and Hungary’s HUNOR program.
The Ax-4 crew represents a diverse international lineup, comprising Commander Peggy Whitson (United States), Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). This mission is notable for including astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary in a government-sponsored spaceflight for the first time, reflecting a renewed engagement from these nations in human space exploration.
Significantly, Ax-4 will also mark the first crewed space mission involving India, Poland, and Hungary in over four decades, underscoring the growing global reach of commercial space travel.
Ax-4 is looked at as a “pivotal moment” for the commercial human spaceflight industry, highlighting the mission’s role in fostering international cooperation and enabling access to low-Earth orbit for a broader range of nations. The company continues to position itself at the forefront of commercial orbital missions, with Ax-4 further advancing its vision of building the world’s first commercial space station.
As the June launch window approaches, Ax-4 is being closely watched by the aerospace community for its significance in both commercial and geopolitical terms. For information on how to view the launch, click here.