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New York Post
14-07-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary head back to Earth after private space mission
The International Space Station's first visitors from India, Poland and Hungary headed back to Earth on Monday, wrapping up a private mission and catching a ride home with SpaceX. Their capsule undocked from the orbiting lab and aimed for a splashdown the next morning in the Pacific off the Southern California coast. The short, privately financed mission marked the first time in more than 40 years that India, Poland and Hungary saw one of their own rocket into orbit. The three astronauts were accompanied by America's most experienced space flier, Peggy Whitson, who works for Axiom Space, which chartered the flight. They launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on June 25. Advertisement 4 (L to R) Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Peggy Whitson from the U.S., Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. AP 4 Capsule of the private Axiom Mission 4 crew landed in landed in the Pacific off the Southern California coast AP India's Shubhanshu Shukla, Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungary's Tibor Kapu conducted dozens of experiments during their stay. They also fielded calls from their countries' prime ministers as well as schoolchildren. 'We will spread the word in our countries that these things are within our reach. These things are possible even for smaller countries like ours,' Kapu said during Sunday's farewell ceremony, which ended in an emotional group hug. Advertisement Shukla noted that 'it's truly a miracle' when humanity comes together for a common goal. 4 The Axion Mission 4 astronauts salute their family members on their way to launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Titusville, Florida, on June 24, 2025 CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA/Shutterstock 'The sky is no longer the limit. We can explore space,' added Uznanski-Wisniewski. Uznanski-Wisniewski took special pride in the first pierogies in space. He took up the cabbage and mushroom-stuffed dumplings, which were freeze-dried in advance for easy cooking in zero gravity. Advertisement 4 The Axiom Mission 4 crew inside the International Space Station's Harmony module shortly after docking aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on June 26, 2025 NASA+/AFP via Getty Images Their three countries shared the cost of the mission, paying more than $65 million apiece. It was Axiom's fourth station trip since 2022. The Houston company's clientele includes the wealthy as well as countries seeking representation in space. NASA embraces commercial spaceflight, helping to set the stage for private space stations in the works by Axiom and others, as well as lunar landers. Advertisement The space station's seven full-time residents remain behind in orbit, representing the U.S., Russia and Japan. Four of them will be replaced in a few weeks by a fresh crew launched for NASA by SpaceX. 'Safe journey home to the best planet in the solar system,' the space station's Anne McClain radioed as the private crew departed.
India Gazette
08-07-2025
- Science
- India Gazette
"Lot of kids from... will become astronauts in the future": Group Captain Shukla during call with students onboard ISS
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian at the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axion Mission 4, on Tuesday held an inspirational interaction with the students at the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in Meghalaya, expressing confidence that many children from 'small towns, big towns and all kinds of towns' across India will one day become astronauts in the future. 'I think they can and they will. Just keep working hard, and I am going to be back there and will guide you. I am very sure a lot of kids from small towns, big towns, and all kinds of towns will become astronauts in the future,' the Group Captain said through a ham radio call from the space station, encouraging the young audience to pursue their dreams relentlessly. The Group Captain who launched to the ISS on June 25 as part of Axiom Mission 4 shared his insights into his journey and the challenges of space travel he endured during his training as well as his time at the ISS. He drew similarities between the training as a fighter pilot for the Indian Air Force and the training he received for the mission, noting that a lot of data training was required for becoming an astronaut. 'Training as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force and being an astronaut have a lot of similarities. I was benefited because of having the knowledge of the system and being aware of the routine required for such a mission. It did help me a lot. There was a lot of data training we needed to do to become an astronaut,' he explained. On the conditions aboard the ISS, the Group Captain noted they are markedly different from Earth due to microgravity and enhanced radiation. 'The conditions in the ISS are very unique because of microgravity first. That affects a lot of biological processes. The second is the enhanced radiation. As you are aware, the atmosphere and magnetic field of the Earth protect us from the radiation. But in space, the radiation is higher. There are two of the many other aspects that affect the living experience here,' he stated. These factors, including muscle and bone loss due to microgravity, necessitate rigorous health maintenance, with Group Captain Shukla mentioning the use of a treadmill, cycle, and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) for staying aboard the ISS. 'Staying healthy and fit in microgravity is very important because on Earth we have a big load on our body because of gravity... So you have muscle loss and bone loss as well. We have a treadmill in the ISS, a cycle, and a strength training machine called ARED,' he noted. For the Group Captain, safety and emergency preparedness are paramount, as evidenced by the extensive training undertaken for 'off-nominal scenarios'. 'We train extensively as a team on the ground for all possible scenarios that can go wrong. Maximum training goes into practising for off-nominal scenarios. We are well-versed and very well-trained to handle any emergencies that can happen on the ISS,' he assured. The Group Captain also touched on the awe-inspiring view of Earth from space. 'It was a great experience... It was the first time I got to look back at the Earth from above... It was an amazing experience,' he recounted. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, part of Axiom Mission 4, launched on June 25 from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 3:21 am ET on Wednesday, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Group Captain Shukla is serving as Mission Pilot on the four-member Axiom Mission 4 and piloted the Dragon spacecraft, which successfully docked with the ISS on June 26, ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module. The Ax-4 crew is expected to stay aboard the space station for up to 14 days. (ANI)
