Axiom Space has officially announced the crew members for the upcoming human spaceflight mission to space station.
Axiom-4 is preparing for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from Florida to the orbiting laboratory or International Space Station (ISS). The crew members are expected to spend around 14 days there. As the names are already announced, we will discuss about their journey from beginning to this revolutionary space mission.
The commander of this mission will be former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. Earlier the partnership between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA were confirmed by participation of group captain Shubhanshu Shukla. Other two members are Polish mission specialist Sławosz Uznański of the European Space Agency (ESA), and mission specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Commander Peggy Whitson
Credit - @AstroPeggy X handle
Peggy Whitson: Trained as a biochemist, 64-year-old Dr. Peggy Whitson is America's one of the most experienced astronaut. She will be the designated Commander for this mission. After retiring from NASA, she collaborated with Houston-based Axiom Space and serves the position of director of the human space flight programme. It will be her 5th overall and 2nd Axiom space mission.
Axiom Space describes Dr Whitson as “America's most experienced astronaut, who flew on three NASA long-duration space flights and Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), accumulating 675 days in space, more than any other American astronaut or woman astronaut in the world,” in official website.
Group captain Shubhanshu Shukla
Credit - @SzabBen004 X handle
Shubhanshu Shukla: 39-year-old Shubhanshu Shukla joined the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2006. Shukla participated in Fighter Combat Leader course from the prestigious Tactics and Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) school. With an overall flying experience of 2000 hrs, he has been test pilot for multiple missions. His flying experience include Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, BAe Hawk, Domnier, and An-32. He will also be part of ISRO’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission.
ESA mission specialist Sławosz Uznański
Credit - @esaspaceflight X handle
Sławosz Uznański: For the first time in last 40 years, a Polish astronaut will participate in any space mission. He is assigned as mission specialist under Chief Astronaut Peggy Whitson. Trained as an engineer, he has been directly working with ESA since 2023.
Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu
Credit - @SzabBen004 X handle
Tibor Kapu: The 33-year-old development engineer worked in the pharmaceutical industry on radiation protection for astronauts. As a parachutist, Tibor Kapu has experienced 38 jumps successfully.
Axiom-4 will be remembered as a special mission for many reasons. One major reason is strength of global partnership.
Global Collaborations: Axiom missions have a rich history of collaborations. Axiom Mission 1 was the first-ever all-private mission to the ISS. In Axiom-2, for the first time, a Saudi female astronaut went to space. During Axiom-3, astronauts from Turkey and ESA participated for the first time.
Enriching Global Space Economy: “Our collaboration with ESA for a second time and the inclusion of Hungary and India underscores Axiom Space's ability to cultivate global partners, expand the scope of exploration, and open up new avenues to grow a global space economy,” Suffredini said in the statement.
“This mission broadens horizons for nations with ambitious goals of advancing scientific, technological, and economic pursuits,” he added.
A look back at the great training our crew receives. We have the privilege of working with partner Operator Solutions, who prepares for and provides support in off-nominal scenarios pic.twitter.com/E4I3By37Jd
— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) February 16, 2024
Credit - @Axiom_Space X handle
Importance of Culturally Diverse Crew: Commander Whitson explained the importance of these partnerships: “I look forward to commanding my second commercial human spaceflight mission with Axiom Space. With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration.”
“Now, with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing even more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity's reach among the stars,” added Whitson.
If everything goes well, Axiom-4 will be launched to the ISS in October 2024.
