Here's the international crew set to make history with Ax-4 Space Mission

Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is poised to make history today as it launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, sending a diverse four-member international crew to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

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Commanding the mission is American astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson, who returns to space with an impressive 675 days already spent in orbit. As the most experienced U.S. astronaut, Whitson will oversee the mission’s complex scientific operations and crew activities.

Joining her is India’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an accomplished Indian Air Force test pilot embarking on his first spaceflight. Representing India’s growing role in space exploration, Shukla is set to become the first Indian astronaut to reach the ISS. His experiments will explore space agriculture, muscle degeneration, and microbial behaviour—key areas for long-term missions.

Also on board is Sawosz Uznanski from Poland, a physicist and former CERN engineer, who will conduct microgravity experiments in collaboration with the European Space Agency. Uznanski is only the second Pole to fly to space.

Rounding out the crew is Hungarian mechanical engineer Tibor Kapu, representing the HUNOR space program. Kapu will focus on space health and radiation protection, advancing Hungary’s scientific capabilities in orbit.

The Ax-4 mission underscores the power of global collaboration in pushing the boundaries of science and human spaceflight.