Rocket Diplomacy: Four Nations, One SpaceX Mission, Infinite Awe

Image Source: Hindustan Times

In a historic milestone in global space collaboration, SpaceX deployed the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 25, 2025. The mission features a multicultural four-astronaut team from the United States, India, Poland, and Hungary, the first time these three nations have sent astronauts to space in over four decades.

Mission Highlights

Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Spacecraft: Crew Dragon (new capsule, inaugural flight)
Launch Pad: NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Liftoff Time: 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 p.m. IST)
Mission Duration: ~14 days on the ISS

Get to Know the Crew

Peggy Whitson (USA): Mission Commander and America's most experienced astronaut with 675 days in space.
Shubhanshu Shukla (India): Indian Air Force Group Captain and pilot of Ax-4, the first Indian astronaut on board the ISS.
Sławosz Uznański (Poland): ESA astronaut and physicist, conducting microgravity experiments.
Tibor Kapu (Hungary): Mechanical engineer and radiation shield specialist, the first Hungarian to go to space since 1980.

Scientific Objectives

Over 60 experiments planned, from microbial behavior to muscle wasting, space farming, and advanced materials
Some of the experiments are Indian-designed, showing the increased role of the country in space science.

India's Space Milestone

Shukla is the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma (1984) and the first one to be on a commercial mission.
The mission serves as a stepping stone to India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, set for 2027.

Global Cooperation

Axiom Space plans the Ax-4 mission with collaboration from NASA, ISRO, ESA, and other national space agencies.
The mission patch features all four national flags and the motto: "Space is for everyone."

Sources: MSN, News18, Phys.org, CBS News, Florida Today