The Ax-4 mission, the fourth private expedition organized by Axiom Space, will depart for the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than June 11, 2025 (Wednesday) at 2:00 p.m. Polish time. The launch has been postponed from its earlier date due to strong winds in the ascent corridor, as confirmed by SpaceX, NASA, and Axiom Space. 

Preparations and crew 

The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule are already ready at launch pad LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Static engine tests and a full crew rehearsal have confirmed that the equipment and personnel are ready for departure. The mission includes commander Peggy Whitson (USA), pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland/ESA) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). 

Polish presence in space 

Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski will be the second Pole in space after Mirosław Hermaszewski’s mission in 1978. His participation is the result of an agreement between the Ministry of Development and Technology and ESA, supported by POLSA and the IGNIS program — a Polish technological and scientific mission to the ISS. Uznański will conduct research in the field of technology and natural sciences on the ISS. 

The crew will spend up to 14 days on the station, conducting approximately 60 experiments in biology, life sciences, materials science, and Earth observation. Thirty-one countries are participating, making Ax-4 the largest research program in the history of Axiom missions. 

New Dragon and technical challenges 

The mission will launch on a new Dragon capsule (C213), which will be used for the first time. Its storage, propulsion, and seat mounting systems have been upgraded for improved reliability. SpaceX identified a small leak in the first stage of the rocket (B1094), but it was patched after pre-launch tests. In addition, the weather remains a decisive factor, with an 80% probability of favorable launch conditions. 

Ax-4 is an important step towards the commercialization of space. Axiom is preparing to build its own space station after 2030, when NASA concludes the operations of the ISS. 

Sources: naukawpolsce.pl / photo: POLSA