Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai. Axiom Space, a Houston-based private aerospace firm, is gearing up for its fourth crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS). The Ax-4 mission is scheduled to lift off on Tuesday, June 10, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A brand-new SpaceX Dragon capsule mounted atop a Falcon 9 rocket will carry the four-member crew into orbit. If the launch proceeds as planned, the capsule will dock with the ISS by 12:30 p.m. ET on June 11.

Axiom’s livestream will begin at 6:15 a.m. ET (3:45 p.m. IST), with the actual liftoff targeted for 8:22 a.m. ET (5:52 p.m. IST). NASA and SpaceX will also provide simultaneous live coverage.

India's Shubhanshu joins global crew led by a space veteran

Commanding the Ax-4 mission is retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has spent a record-breaking 675 days in space—more than any other American. Currently Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space, Whitson was recently inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. She leads a diverse crew of three other astronauts:

Shubhanshu Shukla (India) – Pilot

Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland) – Mission Specialist

Tibor Kapu (Hungary) – Mission Specialist

This launch represents a significant milestone for India, Poland, and Hungary, all returning to human spaceflight after a hiatus of over 40 years. Notably, Uznański and Kapu will become the first astronauts from their respective countries to live aboard the ISS.

Rs 538 crore per seat: Price of a space dream

Each seat aboard the Ax-4 mission comes with a staggering price tag—around **$70 million (Rs 538 crore)**. The cost covers a full year of astronaut training, life support, launch logistics, and a two-week stay on the ISS. While pricier than brief suborbital flights offered by Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic, the Ax-4 journey includes in-orbit research, tech experiments, and public outreach activities.

Over 60 experiments are lined up for the mission, ranging from biotech research to space-based industrial tests—making the flight a mini research lab in orbit.

Private firm eyes future beyond the ISS

Axiom Space’s ambitions stretch far beyond selling space tickets. With funding from a $140 million NASA contract awarded in 2020, the company is working on launching **Axiom Station**—a private orbital platform set to attach its first module to the ISS by 2027. The goal is to eventually take over when NASA retires the ISS in 2030. Once operational, Axiom Station will function as a standalone commercial laboratory and tourist destination in low-Earth orbit.

Final checks complete as launch day nears

The Ax-4 crew wrapped up their launch day rehearsals over the weekend, and SpaceX conducted a successful static fire test of the Falcon 9 booster. Weather forecasts for Tuesday remain under watch, with Cape Canaveral expecting partly cloudy skies and possible thunderstorms. Final Go/No-Go calls will be made based on evolving conditions in the launch window.

Axiom-4 Mission Highlights

Launch Date:June 10, 2025

Launch Time:8:22 a.m. ET (5:52 p.m. IST)

Docking:June 11, 12:30 p.m. ET

Vehicle:SpaceX Dragon capsule + Falcon 9

Commander: Peggy Whitson (USA)

Crew:Shubhanshu Shukla (India), Sławosz Uznański (Poland), Tibor Kapu (Hungary)

Duration:14 days on ISS

Experiments:Over 60 scientific and tech payloads

Cost per seat:Approx. Rs 538 crore ($70 million)

Quote-

"We’re not just sending astronauts—we’re building the bridge to a future where space is not limited to government programs. Missions like Ax-4 are paving the way for routine, commercial access to low-Earth orbit and laying the foundation for the post-ISS era."

— Michael Suffredini, CEO & President, Axiom Space