Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski

infrared view of Axiom 4 under parachutes
SpaceX feed showing an infrared camera capture of Axiom 4’s descent this morning
Via: SpaceX

Early Tuesday morning, July 15 at 5:31 AM Eastern Time, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule “Grace” brought the crew of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) back to Earth with a smooth splashdown off the southern California coast. They had undocked from the International Space Station just over 22 hours earlier, at 6:15 a.m. CT on Monday, July 14. The landing marks the end of a successful 18-day journey in low Earth orbit.

Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States led the four-person team, which also included Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Their flight marked a historic return to space for India, Poland, and Hungary—each country’s first astronaut mission in more than four decades—and the inaugural ISS expeditions for all three.

“Ax-4 illustrates the power of commercial partnerships in opening space to more nations,” said Tejpaul Bhatia, CEO of Axiom Space. “By giving Indian, Polish, and Hungarian astronauts hands-on access to the orbiting laboratory, we’re broadening global participation in human spaceflight and laying the groundwork for a dynamic low-Earth-orbit economy.”

The Axiom 4 crew.
Photo: Axiom Space

During their stay aboard the station, the crew carried out over 60 experiments spanning life sciences, materials physics, Earth observation, and cutting-edge technology tests. Those investigations, drawn from 31 countries, underscore the mission’s international reach and its role in pushing the frontiers of microgravity research.

Beyond the lab work, the Ax-4 astronauts took part in more than 20 outreach events—engaging with students, government leaders, researchers, media outlets, and aspiring spacefarers—to share insights from their mission, spark curiosity about STEM, and demonstrate the value of global teamwork in space exploration.

Ax-4 is the fourth private astronaut flight Axiom Space has arranged to the ISS, making it the only company so far to have sent private crews into orbit. These ventures not only give governments, universities, companies, and private citizens direct access to space but also pave the way toward Axiom’s ultimate goal: building and operating Axiom Station, the first commercial space habitat.

Previous Axiom missions have carried crew members from the U.S., Spain, Israel, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Türkiye, and Sweden, in partnership with ESA. With Ax-4’s success, Axiom Space continues to demonstrate the value of international collaboration and the promise of a new era in commercial spaceflight.

Replay Of Landing

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Ax-4 crew members Tibor Kapu, Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański, Shubhanshu Shukla during underwater training. Photo: Axiom Space
Ax-4 crew members Tibor Kapu, Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański, Shubhanshu Shukla during underwater training.
Photo: Axiom Space

Axiom Space has released new information about the scientific and technological goals for its upcoming Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for launch no earlier than May 2025.

Commanded by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson (U.S.), the Ax-4 crew includes pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (ESA/Poland), and mission specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungary). The team will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule from the Eastern Range no earlier than late May.

Ax-4 Will Perform The Most Research-Driven Axiom Mission To Date

The mission will carry roughly 60 science and research payloads involving partners from 31 countries — including the U.S., India, Hungary, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and others across Europe. This marks the most research-driven mission Axiom has led to date, reinforcing the growing international momentum behind low-Earth orbit science and commercial space collaboration.

Much of the research on the mission will be driven by the crew members’ home countries, including experiments from India’s ISRO, Poland in partnership with the European Space Agency, Hungary’s HUNOR program, and the United States. Axiom is also collaborating with research institutions and universities to study how spaceflight affects the human body and how these insights can improve healthcare back on Earth.

Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski [Right] have been training to live and work aboard the space station for the past eight months in preparation for their mission, which is targeted to launch no earlier than May 2025.
Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski [Right] have been training to live and work aboard the space station for the past eight months in preparation for their mission, which is targeted to launch no earlier than May 2025.

Ax-4 is a key step in building a sustainable research and business environment in orbit — and in paving the way for Axiom Station, the company’s planned commercial space station.

Axiom has been making strides in getting their Station completed, launched and connected to ISS — a multi-pronged highly complex program. They recently demonstrated a successful detailed simulation of the capturing and attaching Axiom Station to ISS, a key milestone on the way towards launching the real thing sometime in 2027.

Ax-4 crew member Sławosz Uznański holds a silver packet up to a machine. Photo: Axiom Space
 Ax-4 crew member Sławosz Uznański holds a silver packet up to a machine. 
Photo: Axiom Space

Ax-4 Crew and Launch Plans

Axiom-Led Research

Axiom’s research program spans critical areas in space health and biology. Highlights include:

  • Supporting astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes during spaceflight.
  • Studying how microgravity affects brain function, joints, blood flow, and psychological adaptation.
  • Gathering health data using wearables and smart devices.
  • Investigating cancer progression and stem cell behavior in space.
  • Monitoring radiation exposure and its effects on human tissue.

India: ISRO

India’s space agency, ISRO, is running several biology and materials science experiments in partnership with NASA and ESA. Focus areas include:

  • Visual and cognitive responses to screen use in microgravity.
  • Microgravity effects on algae and cyanobacteria strains.
  • Studying muscle degeneration and crop seed germination in orbit.
  • Identifying genetic resilience to extreme space environments.

Poland / ESA

With ESA support, Poland is conducting a wide-ranging scientific package focused on astronaut health, physiology, and advanced technology. Research will explore:

  • Mental health and behavioral responses in space.
  • Bone loss, gut microbiome changes, and immune system function.
  • Wearable tech performance and biomedical data monitoring.
  • New pharmaceutical storage methods and radiation sensors.
  • Microgravity experiments with algae, tardigrade genes, and neurofeedback tools.

Hungary: HUNOR Program

Hungary’s national space research initiative is contributing a diverse set of studies covering biology, physics, propulsion, and education:

  • Microbiome studies of astronauts.
  • Effects of spaceflight on cognition, cardiovascular function, and motor control.
  • Advanced propulsion experiments using low-melting-point metals.
  • Demonstrating 3D printing behavior, microfluidic drug testing, and smart clothing technologies in orbit.
  • Collaborative educational physics experiments simulating gravity and atmospheric dynamics.

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