The crew of the 4 Axiom mission poses for an official portrait in front of their flight to the International Space Station. From left: Shubhanshu Shukla, Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański and Tibor Kapu. Credit: NASA/Mark A. Garcia
Update, June 13: NASA and Axiom space indefinitely postponed the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to allow further investigations and monitoring of a new identification “pressure signature” in Zvezda aging of the International Space Station before establishing a new launch date.
Mission Highlight: Axiom 4 – A historic multinational effort
The Axiom Mission 4 (AX-4), launching on 11 June at 8:00 EDT from the Kennedy Space Center, will bring members of the crew from India, Poland and Hungary, representing the first mission of each nation to the International Space Station. The historical flight will be commanded by the veteran of NASA Peggy Whitson and marks a significant milestone in commercial space flight. Look at the live launch.
The mission will be piloted by Shubhanshu Shukla, which will become the second national astronaut of India to reach the space since 1984. Speaking to BBCShukla reflected on the emotional weight of the moment, saying: “While I go to space, I carry not only tools and equipment, port hopes and dreams of a billion hearts”.
Also on board is Sławosz Uznański, a project of the project of the European Space Agency and the second astronaut of Poland since 1978, and Tibor Kapu, the second national astronaut of Hungary since 1980. The mission will be commanded by the veteran of Nasa Peggy Whitson, which is added to its record for the longest time of an American astronaut. This marks his second commercial mission on human space flight.
What distinguishes AX-4 is its ambitious research agenda, with about 60 scientific studies that represent 31 countries, including the United States, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates and nations throughout Europe. It marks the largest research portfolio of any axiom spatial mission to date, which covers human health, observation of the earth and biological and material sciences, demonstrating the growing global investment in the search for microgravity.
Among the salient moments there is also a new partnership between NASA and the Organization for Indian space research (ISRO), which is collaborating on various investigations aboard the AX-4 mission. These include experiments on muscle regeneration, the growth of edible shoots and microalgaes, the survival of small aquatic organisms and how humans interact with electronic display in space.
According to Axiom Space, “the AX-4 mission is a lighthouse of opportunity for India, Poland and Hungary, each ready to exploit this mission to advance their national space programs”. The mission underlines how commercial space flight is creating new paths for countries to participate in the space economy and contribute to the understanding of humanity on living and work in space.
Other missions this week
Starlink Group 12-24 He will lift on a Falcon 9 Block 5 on June 10 at 9:03 Edt from Cape Canaveral. The mission will provide more Starlink satellites in orbit, probably including a mix of direct V2-Mini and standard satellites for the expansion of Spacex expanding.
The mountain god guards Mission will use the Electron vehicle of Rocket Lab on 11 June at 11:15 EDT from the launch complex 1 in New Zealand. This launch will transport an IQPS synthetic opening radar satellite, part of the 36 satellite constellation scheduled for IQPS capable of monitoring specific points on Earth every 10 minutes, also through clouds and adverse climate.
Starlink Group 15-6 He launches on a Falcon 9 Block 5 on June 12 at 9:46 pm EDT from the Vandenberg Space Force base. This mission will distribute another lot of Starlink V2-Mini satellites to further expand the Spacex’s constellation of the Internet.
Project Kuiper (Ka-02) United Launch Alliance will use the Atlas V 551 rocket on June 13 at 2:29 EdTs in Cape Canaveral. This mission will distribute the second prototype of Amazon Kuiper broadband Amazon Kuiper, part of a constellation envisaged by 3,236-Satellites that will provide internet access from the low terrestrial orbit.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) He will launch a long rocket of March 2nd on June 13th at 3:55 Edt from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. This mission will bring a useful load not specified to the low terrestrial orbit.
Starlink Group 12-26 Check the week with another Falcon 9 Block 5 launch on June 13 at 19:45 Edt by Cape Canaveral. This mission will distribute further Starlink V2-Mini satellites to continue building the Global Spacex Internet service.
Looking to the future
Looking forward until the week of 16-22 June, several launches are on the horizon. On June 16, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 will bring a useful load for national security of Cape Canaveral and Spacex is scheduled for the launch of the Starlink 15-9 group on a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg SFB, continuing the expansion of its low-earth-orbit Internet network. On June 18, Russia should launch an Angara A5 rocket from Pasetsk Cosmodrome who transports a classified military payload. To complete the week on June 21, the last small satellite mission of Spacex, Transporter-14, will move away from Vandenberg to the synchronous orbit.
