Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut crew named, begins training in Houston

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured docked to the space-facing port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module. Dragon Freedom carried four Axiom Mission-2 astronauts to the orbital lab on May 22, 2023, including Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi. Image: NASA

The full crew of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station was announced on Monday as they officially began training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

The mission, dubbed Ax-4, will include a pilot from India and mission specialists from Poland and Hungary. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will once again sit in the commander seat, leading her second mission as part of Axiom Space’s astronaut corps.

“I look forward to commanding my second commercial human spaceflight mission with Axiom Space,” Whitson said in a press release. “With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration.”

“Our previous missions set the stage. Axiom Mission 1 was the first all-private mission to the space station, Axiom Mission 2 launched the first Saudi female to space, and Axiom Mission 3 included both the first Turkish astronaut and first ESA astronaut to fly on a commercial space mission,” she added. “Now, with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing even more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity’s reach among the stars.”

[LEFT] Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański of ESA/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary [RIGHT]. Image: Axiom SpaceThe Polish government is sponsoring the seat of Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański with support from the European Space Agency (ESA), the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MRiT) and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA).

He will become the second so-called “project astronaut” to fly to space, following Marcus Wandt’s journey to the orbiting outpost during the Ax-3 mission. ESA defines this as those who are “hired as ESA staff on a fixed-term contract and have posts that are linked to a specific flight or project… The length of a project astronaut’s contract is directly connected to the duration of their mission.”

“ESA is continuing to support its Member States with exploration though commercial access to space. With the upcoming Axiom 4 mission, ESA is working closely with Poland and helping drive forward technological advancements, highlighting Poland’s capabilities in space exploration and is a crucial step in advancing its technological expertise” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration.

40-year comebacks

The launch of Shukla, Uznański and Kapu mark milestone returns to space for their respective countries after more than 40 years each.

The first and to date only Indian citizen who traveled to space was Rakesh Sharma, a former military pilot and cosmonaut who flew on board Soyuz T-11 for a nearly eight-day mission in April 1984.

On Friday, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) released a statement regarding a spaceflight agreement (SFA) signed with Axiom Space connected to the Ax-4 mission. It noted that Shukla would serve as the prime mission pilot and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair would be the backup.

“The recommended Gaganyatris will commence their training for the mission from 1st week of August 2024. During the mission, the Gaganyatri will undertake selected scientific research and technology demonstration experiments on board the ISS as well as engage in spaceoutreach activities,” ISRO said in a statement. “The experiences gained during this mission will be beneficial for the Indian Human Space Program and it will also strengthen human space flight cooperation between ISRO & NASA.”

After touching the sky with glory, it’s time for the #IAF to touch space with glory. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair are chosen for the upcoming Indo-US Axiom-4 mission to the ISS. The prime astronaut, Group Captain Shukla, is an… pic.twitter.com/MpO7Vrfd4b

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 3, 2024

Similarly, the first Hungarian cosmonaut to head to space was Bertalan Farkas in 1980. While Hungarian-American Károly Simonyi traveled to space as a tourist in 2007 and 2009, Kapu will be the first Hungarian since Farkas to launch as a professional astronaut. He is backed by the Hungarian to Orbit Astronaut Program (HUNOR), which was established by the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

HUNOR announced its goal of sending a Hungarian astronaut to the ISS by 2024 in 2022. On July 20, 2022, Axiom Space announced a memorandum of understanding signed between it and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to further that goal.

“This partnership with Axiom Space is an important investment that will provide opportunities conduct research in microgravity, strengthen the Hungarian Astronaut Program, and enhance Hungary’s work towards advancing space research and technology development,” Szijjártó  said in a 2022 press release. “Together, we are confident that the space industry will play a crucial role in the development of our economy and are both committed to investing into this high-tech and knowledge-based sector. 

“The adoption of the first Hungarian governmental Space Strategy that was established last year signifies our commitment towards expanding our involvement and presence in space.”

Portrait of Tibor Kapu. Image: MTI/KKM

Later that year, Szijjártó announced Hungary’s intent to spend $100 million to secure a seat on an Axiom Space mission to the orbiting outpost, according to Space News.

“We will have the opportunity to witness the unfolding of a new space age, in which human spaceflight will gain a new meaning, and will gradually become part of the everyday life of mankind,” said Orsolya Ferencz, Ministerial Commissioner for Space Research, in a 2022 statement.

“For Hungary, it is a strategic matter to further develop the existing competencies in human spaceflight in line with international trends, and to acquire new skills such as the training potential of Hungarian astronauts and the maintenance of a national team of astronauts,” he added. “These capabilities are expected to be established within the framework of the HUNOR program.”

Uznański is also snapping a more than 40-year absence from space for Poland. The last Pole to travel to space was Mirosław Hermaszewski who flew on a nearly eight-day mission in 1978 as a member of Soyuz 30.

“ESA continues to embrace the evolving landscape of space exploration, emphasizing the importance of commercial ventures in shaping our journey beyond Earth,” said Frank De Winne, ESA’s ISS Programme Manager. “This mission signifies our ongoing commitment to innovation and collaboration with commercial partners, driving forward new opportunities for growth and scientific advancement.”

Sławosz Uznański began his training as a project astronaut at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne on September 1, 2022. Image: ESA

Flight four in training

The announcement from Axiom Space on Monday noted that the four-member crew would “spend up to 14 days on the space station,” but did not state when that would take place.

The “Launches and Landings” page on NASA’s website lists the mission as launch no earlier than October 2024. However, during a briefing on the SpaceX Crew-9 operational rotation mission to the ISS, Dana Weigel, NASA’s ISS manager, said November was the current target.

“We’re still holding that flight no earlier than November. And so, of course we’ll adjust if we need to as we look at the manifest of where things really lay out, but for now, we’re just holding it there,” Weigel said.

However, other sources said the mission was unlikely to take place before spring 2025. Whenever it launches, it will continue to cement Whitson’s record as the American who spent the most time in space. Following the conclusion of the Ax-2 mission, she clocked more than 675 days in space across four spaceflights.