From left to right: Assigned Ax-4 pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India, ESA project astronaut and assigned mission specialist Sławosz Uznański from Poland, and assigned Ax-4 mission specialist Tibor Kapu from Hungary.On June 25, 2025, at 8:31:52 ET, a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 spacecraft launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, bound for the International Space Station.
On board were four astronauts: the mission commander, Peggy Whitson, a retired NASA astronaut who previously commanded the ISS twice and was the first woman to do so; Capt. Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian astronaut serving as the pilot and group captain; and two mission specialists—Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a Polish scientist and engineer who has worked at CERN in Geneva, and Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer from Hungary.
This is the fourth mission organized by Axiom Space, a Houston-based company that enables countries without their own space programs to purchase rides instead of developing their own spacecraft.
The crew successfully docked with the ISS on June 26 and is currently about halfway through their mission, expected to last up to 14 days. The mission marks a historic first for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each sending an astronaut to the ISS for the first time. For Peggy Whitson, it is a record-extending journey, bringing her total to 680 cumulative days in space (as of the publication date), the most ever for a NASA astronaut.
Sławosz, a native of Łódź and long-time Geneva resident, is only the second Pole in space, following Mirosław Hermaszewski. Perhaps fittingly, he was born on April 12—the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first human spaceflight. As his wife recounts, Sławosz planted the seeds of what would become a lifelong passion for space exploration at an early age.
During the ESA (European Space Agency) mission titled “Ignis,” Sławosz is conducting 13 experiments, selected and developed by companies and institutions in collaboration with ESA. These experiments focus on three key areas: technology, materials science, and biotechnology in space.
From left to right, mission specialist Tibor Kapu, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, commander Peggy Whitson, and ESA project astronaut and mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski during the Ax-4 SpaceX dry dress rehearsal.One of the key technologies Sławosz is testing on the ISS is CERN’s SRM (SpaceRadMon-NG), a miniaturized, next-generation version of a radiation-monitoring device used at the Large Hadron Collider. It was developed in collaboration with Polish start-up SigmaLabs. In space, he is monitoring radiation levels and their effects on electronic chips—data that will inform the design of future systems and satellites for upcoming missions.
On July 2, the EC1 science and cultural center in Łódź organized a live video call with Sławosz. Aimed at engaging Polish youth, the event helped bridge the interstellar gap between astronauts and Earth-bound students. Speaking from the Columbus Lab aboard the ISS, Sławosz answered several questions and conducted experiments proposed by students.
The first question: “How did your perspective on Earth change when you saw it from afar?” His answer was succinct—he was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of our planet and by how close, yet distant, it felt at that moment. And in case you’ve ever wondered what sleeping looks like in space: astronauts do it while floating in weightlessness—something that took Sławosz a few nights to get used to.
Sławosz shared that over 10,000 Polish schools have now received training in engineering soldering labs. As part of the program, students were also given satellite-shaped telegraph keys for sending Morse code—sparking curiosity in the youngest learners about engineering and space.
American astronomer and author Carl Sagan once said, “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” This mission doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel—but it may well become a catalyst, laying the groundwork for the next generation of Polish astronauts, and deepening our understanding of the universe we share.
Axiom‑4 isn’t “just another” spaceflight—it’s a scientific leap, a vital step toward the realization of commercial space travel, and a meaningful platform for nurturing STEM engagement—and perhaps more importantly, national pride and unity in contributing to a shared global journey.
Image: ©ESA / Axiom Space
A writer and analyst with a keen interest in the intersection of science, philosophy, and culture.
