N° 40–2024: ESA project astronaut from Poland to Join Axiom Mission 4

Axiom Space announced that it is partnering with India and Hungary, and with Poland through ESA to send three national astronauts to the International Space Station on Ax-4.

ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański has been assigned as mission specialist under the command of Axiom Space’s chief astronaut Peggy Whitson.

The other two Ax-4 crew members are pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India, and mission specialist Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The crew deployment to the International Space Station awaits approval from the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP). The MCOP's decisions are reached through a consensus among representatives from all five Space Station partners: NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.

Ax-4 will be the second commercial human spaceflight mission with an ESA project astronaut. Sponsored by the Polish government and supported by ESA, the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MRiT), and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), this mission includes an ambitious technological and scientific programme. The programme will feature several experiments proposed by the Polish space industry and developed under the lead of ESA.

"ESA is continuing to support its Member States with exploration though commercial access to space. With the upcoming Ax-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” says ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander.  

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-4 crew in a Dragon spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will spend up to 14 days at the Space Station, conducting microgravity research and educational activities after docking with the orbital laboratory.

Sławosz Uznański is currently undergoing an intensive training programme to adapt to the challenges of living and working in space, meeting the rigorous standards for human spaceflight. In August he will begin training at Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX facilities in the US with the rest of the crew.

Follow Sławosz’s journey on ESA’s Exploration blog, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int