- On June 25 at 08:31 CEST, SpaceX Crew Dragon “Grace” launched from Pad 39A with four astronauts on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).
- Peggy Whitson (USA) commands Ax-4 and is on her fifth spaceflight, with a U.S. orbital record of 675 days.
- Shubhanshu Shukla (India) is Pilot for Ax-4, becoming the first Indian in space since 1984.
- Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland) is the first Polish national on the ISS and the second Pole in space.
- Tibor Kapu (Hungary) is Ax-4’s Mission Specialist, marking Hungary’s first visitor to the ISS.
- Poland’s 47-year space drought ends with Ax-4, following Mirosław Hermaszewski’s 1978 Soyuz 30 mission.
- Uznański-Wiśniewski was born April 12, 1984, is an electronics and radiation-hardened systems engineer at CERN, and was selected as Poland’s Project Astronaut in 2022.
- IGNIS carries 13 experiments on Ax-4’s ~60-experiment manifest, including SpaceRadMon-NG from CERN, SigmaLabs, AstroMentalHealth, micro-algae bioreactors, and tardigrade resilience studies.
- The mission timeline includes launch on June 25, orbital insertion after 9 minutes, autonomous rendezvous on June 26 around 13:00, hatch opening around 15:10, a 14-day research program June 26–July 10, with splashdown targeted around July 11.
- SpaceRadMon-NG will beam down ISS radiation maps within 72 hours, while Hungary disclosed $100 million funding for Ax-4 as part of the commercial-orbit effort.
1. Why today’s flight matters
At 02:31 EDT (08:31 CEST) a brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon christened Grace roared off pad 39A, carrying four astronauts on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)—and with them the dreams of three nations returning to human space-flight after more than four decades. Among the passengers is Dr Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, who just became the second Pole ever—and the first Polish national on the ISS. [1] [2]
2. The multinational crew at a glance
| Role | Name | Nation | Notable fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commander | Peggy Whitson | USA | 5th spaceflight; 675 days in orbit – a U.S. record [3] |
| Pilot | Shubhanshu Shukla | India | First Indian in space since 1984 [4] |
| Mission Specialist | Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski | Poland | CERN engineer; 41 yrs old; first Pole on ISS [5] [6] |
| Mission Specialist | Tibor Kapu | Hungary | Hungary’s first visitor to ISS [7] |
“We’ve had an incredible ride uphill.”
— Cmdr. Peggy Whitson over SpaceX mission control moments after reaching orbit [8]
3. A Polish comeback 47 years in the making
- Poland’s only previous space-traveller was Mirosław Hermaszewski aboard Soyuz 30 in 1978; Ax-4 ends that drought. [9]
- Watching from Warsaw’s Copernicus Science Centre, Prime Minister Donald Tusk enthused: “We’ve got this! Poland has reached for the stars.” [10]
- ESA Director-General Josef Aschbacher called Uznański a “bright star” for European space ambitions. [11]
4. Who is Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski?
| Key facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Birth | 12 Apr 1984 – Cosmonaut Day! |
| Background | Electronics & radiation-hardened systems engineer at CERN; helped develop SpaceRadMon-NG radiation monitor now riding with him. [12] |
| ESA status | Selected as Project Astronaut (Polish reserve) in 2022; tapped for Ax-4 in Aug 2024. [13] |
| Training | Mastered Dragon life-support, ISS ops and emergency scenarios; shadowed Sweden’s Marcus Wandt during Ax-3. [14] |
| Fun fact | Packed freeze-dried pierogi and his meteorite-inlaid wedding rings for the trip. [15] |
5. Science payload: why IGNIS matters
Poland brands its ISS contribution IGNIS—13 experiments embedded in Ax-4’s ~60-experiment manifest. Highlights:
- SpaceRadMon-NG mini-dosimeter from CERN and Polish start-up SigmaLabs to map ISS radiation hot-spots. [16]
- AstroMentalHealth video-diary study of astronaut psychology led by Dr Agnieszka Skorupa (University of Silesia). [17]
- Micro-algae bioreactors and tardigrade resilience studies coordinated by ESA for advanced life-support. [18]
6. Flight plan & what happens next
| Event | Time (CEST) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | 25 Jun 08:31 | [19] |
| Dragon “Grace” orbital insertion | T+9 min | [20] |
| Autonomous rendezvous | 26 Jun ~13:00 | [21] |
| Hatch opening & welcome | 26 Jun ~15:10 | [22] |
| 14-day research programme | 26 Jun – 10 Jul | [23] |
| Splash-down off Florida | ~11 Jul (target) | NASA mission timeline [24] |
NASA TV, Axiom Space and SpaceX will stream docking coverage from 05:00 CEST Thursday. [25]
7. The bigger picture: commercial orbit, political drama
- Axiom Space is using these charter flights to pave the way for a private ISS successor; modules begin arriving in 2028. [26]
- Launch slipped six times amid an online spat between Elon Musk and U.S. president Donald Trump, who threatened to cancel federal contracts. [27]
- All three governments paid for their seats; Hungary disclosed $100 million; Poland and India remain mum. [28]
8. Expert voices
| Expert | Quote | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Peggy Whitson (Ax-4 Commander) | “Incredible ride uphill.” [29] | Testament to Dragon’s flawless ascent. |
| Josef Aschbacher (ESA DG) | Uznański is a “bright star” for Europe. [30] | Signals ESA’s support for smaller member states. |
| Dr Agnieszka Skorupa (AstroMentalHealth) | Will analyse facial emotion and language “to understand isolation in space.” [31] | Shows depth of Poland’s scientific agenda. |
| Donald Tusk (Polish PM) | “Poland has reached for the stars.” [32] | Captures national pride. |
9. What to watch for
- Radiation data drop: SpaceRadMon-NG will beam down its first ISS radiation maps within 72 hours.
- Prime-ministerial calls: Narendra Modi and Donald Tusk are both scheduled to hold live ISS calls next week. [33]
- Return leg: Dragon Grace must survive a blazing re-entry and Atlantic splash-down—always the mission’s riskiest phase.
Bottom line
Ax-4 is more than a joy-ride for a quartet of national heroes; it is a dress rehearsal for a post-ISS future where commercial stations, emerging space nations and seasoned explorers share the same orbit. With pierogi, micro-algae and a radiation monitor aboard, Poland’s star scientist embodies that future—and, judging by today’s flawless launch, the future has already begun.
References
1. wiadomosci.onet.pl, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. indiatimes.com, 5. home.cern, 6. www.polskieradio.pl, 7. www.theguardian.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. www.polskieradio.pl, 10. www.theguardian.com, 11. warsawpoint.com, 12. home.cern, 13. www.esa.int, 14. warsawpoint.com, 15. wiadomosci.onet.pl, 16. home.cern, 17. wiadomosci.onet.pl, 18. www.theguardian.com, 19. wiadomosci.onet.pl, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.nasa.gov, 22. wiadomosci.onet.pl, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. www.nasa.gov, 25. www.nasa.gov, 26. www.reuters.com, 27. www.theguardian.com, 28. www.theguardian.com, 29. www.reuters.com, 30. warsawpoint.com, 31. wiadomosci.onet.pl, 32. www.theguardian.com, 33. www.theguardian.com
