Axiom Mission 4: Peggy Whitson and Crew Set for Launch from NASAs Kennedy Space Center
After a series of delays, a group of four astronauts selected for the Axiom Mission 4 are finally on the cusp of heading to orbit. The latest SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to blast off from Florida's Space Coast will carry a crew led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson for a two-week mission at the International Space Station. There, they will conduct dozens of science experiments before departing for a water landing off the coast of California.
Axiom Space, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is behind the mission, which is its latest in a series of human spaceflights in partnership with both NASA and SpaceX – the commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk. The mission, also known as Ax-4, represents the fourth time in about three years that a crew has ventured to the space station for a private research mission.
The Axiom 4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson from the U.S., Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. This will be the first time these astronauts from their respective nations have ever reached the space station.
Under the command of Whitson, the crew members are expected to undertake about 60 scientific experiments during their time aboard the orbital laboratory. The research was developed specifically to take place in microgravity on behalf of organizations around the world, according to Axiom Space. The Axiom missions are also aimed at advancing the company's goals of building a space station that will attach to the ISS before its planned 2030 retirement. The Axiom missions began in 2022, with the most recent, Axiom Mission 3, taking place in January 2024.
The launch could happen as early as 2:31 a.m. ET Wednesday, June 24, 2025, from NASA's historic Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The Ax-4 crew is due to ride a brand-new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to orbit, which will get off the ground with the assistance of the company's two-stage Falcon 9 rocket.
Once the Dragon separates from the Falcon 9 following liftoff, the capsule will continue its independent journey to the orbital outpost, where it is expected to dock on Thursday, June 26. The Ax-4 crew and their Dragon spacecraft are expected to be docked at the space station for up to 14 days before departing on a water landing off the coast of California.
Those watching from home will have plenty of options to catch a livestream of the spaceflight. FLORIDA TODAY, part of the USA TODAY Network, will provide live coverage at floridatoday.com/space. Live updates will be available here.
In addition to Whitson, Shukla is an astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), while Uznański-Wiśniewski is a scientist and engineer from Poland who is part of the European Space Agency's reserve astronaut class and Kapu is a mechanical engineer from Hungary.
