keneci
News • Science & Tech • Comedy
Paris 2024 Olympics: Arson Attacks Cripple Rail Network; As Woke Opening Ceremony Trigger Backlash Over LGBTQ Propaganda
July 29, 2024
post photo preview

The French high-speed rail network’s “nerve centers” came under coordinated arson attacks Friday, on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, causing widespread disruptions and cancelations.

According to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, the sabotage operation was prepared and coordinated to hit critical points, affecting high-speed rail lines connecting Paris to major cities in the east, north, and west.

Five signal boxes and electricity installations were vandalized or attempted to be vandalized between 01:00 and 05:30 local time. The French rail company SNCF reported that fiber optic cables in at least three locations were set on fire.

Hundreds of thousands of passengers were stranded, with delays and cancellations expected to last throughout the weekend.

French authorities have launched an investigation and vowed to “find and punish” those responsible. SNCF has mobilized teams to repair the damaged infrastructure, with repairs expected to take several days.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach expressed confidence in French authorities, stating, “We have full confidence in the French authorities.”


Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony, A First On A River: Lively Parades, Lady Gaga, And Bizarre Woke Performances

The attack occurred just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony, but the ceremony proceeded as scheduled.

The Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the 2024 Paris Games took place on April 16, 2024, in Olympia, Greece. The flame was lit using a parabolic mirror to focus the sun’s rays, a tradition dating back to the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

The torch relay, which spanned over two months, saw the flame travel through various French cities and territories before arriving in Paris in July. The final torch-bearer, Charles Coste, a 100-year-old French Olympic champion, passed the flame to French judo great Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec, who lit a cauldron shaped like a hot air balloon during the opening ceremony Friday.

The final torch-bearer, Charles Coste, was reportedly unaware of his selection until right before the ceremony.

The opening ceremony featured a parade of nations along the Seine River, with thousands of athletes sailing past lively performers on bridges, banks, and rooftops. It culminated in the lighting of the Olympic cauldron, which rose high above the Parisian sky.

The chaotic ceremony, marred by some upside-down flags, was shorter than usual, lasting around 4 hours. It was the first to take place on a river, swapping a traditional stadium setting for a waterway.

The ceremony began with a video interlude that featured World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane running through Paris. Musical interlude was performed in French by American singer Lady Gaga. The ceremony also featured Celine Dion, rapper Snoop Dogg and local French artists.


 

Christian Leaders, Others Slam IOC For Blasphemous Anti-Christian Display During Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony

Many viewers on social media however, had harsh criticisms. The glitzy part of the official 2024 summer Olympics ceremony was dominated by woke themes and LGBTQ propaganda -- featuring drag queens, a 'decapitated' head and a 'smurf' with his bulge out.

The ceremony featured a drag queen-led parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” a depiction of Jesus Christ's last supper with his disciples the night he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.

Critics and several Christian leaders have expressed outrage and disappointment over the blasphemous themes and disrespect towards Christianity.

French politician Marion Marechal tweeted, “To all the Christians around the world watching the #Paris2024 ceremony who felt insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper, know that it is not France speaking but a left-wing minority willing to provoke. #notinmyname.”

Right-leaning politicians in France were also outraged by what they saw as a "woke" spectacle.

The blasphemous parody also caused uproar among Italy's right. Deputy Prime Minister and anti-migrant League party leader Matteo Salvini slammed the ceremony in a post on X. "Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians around the world was a really bad start, dear French people," he wrote. "Sordid."

An MEP belonging to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy, Nicola Procaccini, in sarcastic Facebook post wrote: "I really enjoyed the Gay Pride ceremony. Do you know when the Olympic Games will take place?"

Homosexual Jewish artistic director of the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, had pledged last week that the ceremony would celebrate "diversity" and "otherness." Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, he said that his intention had not "been to be subversive or to mock, or to shock."

"Above all I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion, not at all to divide," he added. "In France, you have the right to love as you like, who you like. In France, you can believe (in religion) or not believe. In France, we have lots of rights."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who sees himself as a defender of "traditional" values in Europe, railed Saturday against the "weakness and disintegration of the Western world" as illustrated by the opening ceremony.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the show a "mockery of a sacred story for Christians" and a "giant gay parade." The country, which banned "gay propaganda" in 2013, has been excluded from the Paris Olympics over its invasion of Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron jumped to Jolly's defence, saying the ceremony had "made our compatriots extremely proud." "This is France!" he wrote earlier on X.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also praised Jolly's work. "Every edition (of the Olympics) brings a stone to the edifice," Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games executive director at the IOC, told reporters. "This has brought a mountain, it's not a small stone."

Popular American evangelical Christian leader and president of Samaritan's Purse, Franklin Graham wrote on X: "Why would the International Olympic Committee allow the opening ceremonies to feature men in drag parodying the Last Supper? @elonmusk, @SpeakerJohnson, and many others quickly pointed out how disrespectful this was to Christians everywhere. Even more than being disrespectful to Christians, I would be concerned about being disrespectful to God. His Word tells us, 'Be not deceived, God is not mocked' (Galatians 6:7). Whether you’re Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, or Protestant, it is offensive."

Bishop Robert Barron of Minnesota called the parody a “gross mockery” and emblematic of a “deeply secularist postmodern society” that identifies Christianity as its enemy.

Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, urged Catholics to “fast and pray, renew our devotion to the Eucharist, the Sacred Heart, and the Virgin Mary” in reparation for the blasphemy.

Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, described his reaction as “My vocabulary is not varied enough to find a word for the feeling in the pit of my stomach” and emphasized that people of Christian faith deserve respect.

United States Senator Marco Rubio, a Catholic, quoted Jude 1:18, “In the last time there will be scoffers who will live according to their own godless desires.”

Tesla chief Elon Musk who has since unfollowed Olympics organization's X account, called the parody “extremely disrespectful to Christians.” In other posts, he argued that "Christianity has become toothless;" and that "Unless there is more bravery to stand up for what is fair and right, Christianity will perish."

Entrepreneur and popular social media personality Andrew Tate wrote on X, "I don't watch the Olympics. But a bunch of GAY SATANIC garbage just appeared on my desk. I'm not surprised that France has gone full gay-pedo. The West is finished. There are men with beards, wearing dresses and lingerie, balls hanging out, twerking next to children. Sometimes I genuinely wonder. WHO THE FUCK THINKS THIS IS NORMAL??? Drag Queens are the new national symbol of France? Gays and crime The Australian and Argentine teams got all their shit stolen out of their vans by migrants. ROBBED. This is the West now. Gay and Dangerous. French used to be about luxury, innovation, military prowess. England's and Europe's #1 mortal enemy at one point. Now they're just the gay butt buddies. Do you all remember the Opening of the Beijing Olympics? Thousands of completely coordinated Chinese men and women beating drums. A display of absolute competence. 1,000s of people in LOCK STEP. The sign of a competent and organized group of people. France? Gays in dresses twerking with children. The Western World is toast. It's actually over. And it's over because no one else seems to think anything is wrong. And those who do, won't do shit about it. Too scared to even speak."

Tate also reacted to the ceremony in a video posted on X, writing, "I AM BOYCOTTING THE OLYMPICS. I will watch NOTHING. The opening ceremony, planned and orchestrated by a gay jew, was disgusting. I will be placing signs outside of the French embassy in Romania tomorrow at 7pm. Respect Jesus."

Several brands have also pulled their adverts from the event. "We were shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. C Spire will be pulling our advertising from the Olympics," C Spire wrote on X.

The IOC and partner broadcaster NBC have since issued DMCA copyright takedown requests asking X to remove many of the blasphemous images and videos posted by outraged users.

 

community logo
Join the keneci Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
0
What else you may like…
Videos
Posts
Articles
SpaceX Starlink Internet Satellites

With Starlink internet, data is continuously being sent between a ground dish and a Starlink satellite orbiting 550km above. Furthermore, the Starlink satellite zooms across the sky at 27,000 km/hr! MORE VIDEOS ON KENECI NETWORK RUMBLE CHANNEL: https://rumble.com/c/Keneci

00:28:08
Elon Musk, DOGE Speak On Waste And Fraud

US Department of Government Efficiency Services (USDS) led by Elon Musk speak on the "mind-boggling" fraud and waste in UInited States federal government

00:00:45
January 17, 2025
SpaceX Launches Starship 7th Test Flight

SpaceX successfully executed its second-ever “chopsticks” catch of a Super Heavy booster (or Booster 14) using the “Mechazilla” launch tower on Thursday(Jan. 16), during the seventh uncrewed test flight of the company's 123-meter Starship rocket. However, the megarocket's upper stage(or Ship 33) was lost approximately 8.5 minutes into the flight in a “rapid unscheduled disassembly(RUD)” or explosion

00:10:30
Welcome to Keneci Network!

Join the conversations!

September 17, 2024
Charges Against Sean 'Diddy' Combs In Grand Jury Indictment

The rapper was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution in the indictment unsealed Tuesday(Sept. 17)

Combs-Indictment-24-Cr.-542.pdf
"Dear husband"

A Dubai princess took to social media to announce she's divorcing her husband who's worth $40B.

She claims the billionaire is busy with his "other [female] companions"

post photo preview
post photo preview
SpaceX Private Ax-4 Astronauts Arrive At The Space Station

The SpaceX Ax-4 Crew Dragon "Grace" docked with the International Space Station (ISS) at 1031 UTC on June 26, and the hatches between the spacecraft and the station were opened at 1214 UTC. The station's current crew, including Exp. 73 commander JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, welcomed the Ax-4 astronauts abaord.

The spacecraft had launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket at 0631 UTC on June 25 for Houston-based Axiom Space, completing a 28-hour orbital journey to the space station.

Welcoming the Ax-4 crew mission commander Peggy Whitson, mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), mission specialists Sławosz Uznański (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), Onishi noted the presence of 11 astronauts from six countries on the ISS. He welcomed the crew, stating, “With your arrival right now, there are 11 astronauts from six countries, and all of us are here in order to advance human space exploration and scientific research, symbolizing international cooperation.”

The Ax-4 crew received their astronaut wings during the ceremony, with Whitson expressing appreciation for the support provided by the ISS crew and Kapu describing the Expedition 73 team as “the best crew” to join.

The Ax-4 crew will work alongside the Expedition 73 members, including NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Jonny Kim, JAXA’s Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Kirill Peskov, and Alexey Zubritsky.

"We're looking forward to getting a lot of work done with you guys, and I really appreciate all the support you provided for to us in advance of actually even getting here," Whitson said in response to Onishi.

"I'm very, very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing, advancing science and research and working together," said Shukla, mentioning that the view so far had surpassed his expectations.

"This is an ultimate scientific laboratory where we come to do science, to test the technologies of our countries, to do technology demonstrations and science outreach that I can't wait to do for the for the next two weeks, and we will all try to do our best representing our countries," Uznański said as he was handed the microphone.

Finally, as his wings were clipped to his jumpsuit, "I really feel that this is the best crew that you could join. It really feels great to be part of Expedition 73," said Kapu. "I'm 100% sure that this is going to be awesome."

The Ax-4 mission, a private astronaut mission, will last approximately 14 days, during which the crew will conduct over 60 scientific experiments, including seven proposed by India, such as studying water bears (tardigrades) in microgravity and investigations in bio-manufacturing and bio-astronautics.

==================

Falcon 9 rocket launched SpaceX's newest Dragon spacecraft, named "Grace," at 0631 UTC on June 25, 2025, from Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Ax-4 mission for Houston-based Axiom Space, to the International Space Station (ISS) is carrying former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is also Axiom's director of human spaceflight. Alongside her are mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster (B1094) touched down safely as planned about ~8 minutes after liftoff at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1(LZ 1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

About a minute later, the Falcon 9's second stage completed its orbital insertion and deployed Dragon to begin the final leg of Ax-4's journey to the space station.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the dorsal port of the space station's Harmony module at approximately 1100 UTC on June 26.

Grace is the fifth Crew Dragon in SpaceX's fleet, and was named by the Ax-4 crew, with its name symbolizing elegance and harmony in space exploration. Ax-4 is the Dragon's debut mission carrying the crew of four to the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft featured upgraded life-support systems, touchscreen controls, and autonomous docking capabilities.

The crew shared images of their mission's zero-g indicator, a plush baby swan toy named Joy, symbolized cultural values—wisdom (India), resilience (Poland), and grace (Hungary)—and signaled the crew’s arrival in microgravity.

The Ax-4 crew will spend about two weeks aboard the ISS, living and working alongside the seven long-term occupants of ISS Expedition 73. They will conduct more than 60 science experiments and STEM outreach events, the highest number on any Axiom mission to date, representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, and others.

The experiments focuses on:

  • Human Research: Studies on muscle regeneration and the impact of isolation on mental health.

  • Life and Biological Sciences: Investigations into how sprouts, edible microalgae, and tiny aquatic organisms grow and survive in microgravity.

  • Earth Observation: Research to support environmental monitoring.

  • Material Sciences: Technology demonstrations for future space applications.

The crew trained extensively for ISS operations, with access to the U.S. segment of the station, including the Columbus and Kibō modules. Educational outreach included interactive events with schools and communities in the crew’s home countries.

This mission marks the first time people from India, Poland, and Hungary have flown together to the ISS and represents the return of these countries to human spaceflight for the first time in 40 years  It is also the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS.

Whitson is a former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. She is the most experienced American astronaut, with 675 days in space prior to this mission. This was her fifth spaceflight and second time commanding an Axiom mission. She holds records for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut (10) and the most cumulative time in space by a U.S. astronaut.

Shukla is a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force and an astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Shukla became the second Indian to reach space and the first to serve in a critical operational role on an ISS mission. With over 2,000 hours of flight experience, he trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia and is part of India’s Gaganyaan program, set for 2027.

Uznański-Wiśniewski is a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut from the 2022 Astronaut Reserve Class. Uznański-Wiśniewski was the second Polish astronaut to travel to space and the first since 1978. An engineer with experience at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, he trained extensively in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. for the mission, carrying the Polish flag from the 1978 mission.

Kapu is representing the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program. Kapu was the second Hungarian astronaut to reach space and the first to visit the ISS. A mechanical engineer with expertise in space radiation protection, he was selected from 247 applicants and trained at NASA facilities.

"It has been more than 40 years since the first person from India, Poland and Hungary has been to space, and through this commercial space opportunity we are accelerating the national space programs in each of these three countries and creating new pathways for technological advancements," Whitson said at the crew's January press conferece. "I'm sure this crew is going to be inspiring a whole new generation of young people."

This is the second Axiom astronaut mission to the ISS that has been sponsored in part by another national government or the European Space Agency (ESA). Of the 60 experiments to be carried out by the Ax-4 crew, 17 are being supported by ESA and Poland, and 25 through Hungary's orbital astronaut program HUNOR.

"Each country who comes brings something different than what we have in the normal suite of what we see for our research," said NASA's ISS program manager Dana Weigel during a May 20 Ax-4 press call. "It really expands the breadth of what we can do with research and the number of countries, institutions, academic organizations, etc., who participate."

Thursday's launch was initially scheduled for June 11 but was delayed due to high altitude winds and a leak aboard the ISS.

The space station's aftmost module, Zvezda, has experienced an ongoing leak for more than five years now, but has remained stable during that time. Last week, a change in the pressure data that monitors the leak prompted NASA to delay Ax-4 while they monitored the issue.

Read full Article
post photo preview
NATO Summit: Trump Slams Far-left CNN, NYT Over Iran Stories On U.S. Strikes

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO summit in The Hague concluded with significant developments, including a commitment by member states to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, aimed at strengthening collective security and meeting NATO's capability targets.

President Trump praised the summit's outcomes, calling the defense spending agreement a "big win" for the United States and Western civilization, while also expressing concerns about Spain's reluctance to meet the spending target. He reaffirmed his commitment to NATO's Article 5.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized NATO's renewed focus on becoming "deadlier and fairer," and reaffirmed the UK's commitment to defense spending and support for Ukraine.

Starmer highlighted the UK's commitment to NATO and its efforts to strengthen defense capabilities. He also emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine and ensuring the stability of the region.

NATO leaders agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, with at least 3.5% allocated to core defense requirements and up to 1.5% for other security-related expenditures. This commitment is intended to ensure NATO's readiness and resilience against emerging threats.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte humorously referred to President Trump as "daddy" when discussing Trump's intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict. Rutte later clarified that the term was used metaphorically to describe Trump's role in mediating the dispute. Trump acknowledged it in a light-hearted manner, stating that Rutte "likes me."

Following his speech at the NATO Summit, President Trump, along with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed a leaked preliminary Pentagon assessment that suggested the damage to Iran's nuclear program by recent U.S. airstrikes was likely only a few months' setback rather than complete obliteration as Trump said.

The leaked preliminary Pentagon assessment, reported by far-left anti-Trump outlets like CNN and The New York Times, suggested the strikes only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months, with damage limited to aboveground structures and some enriched uranium possibly moved beforehand.

Trump said the airstrikes were a "spectacular military success" and stated that Iran's "key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. He maintained that the strikes were a success and that Iran's nuclear ambitions had been set back by "decades."

The President emphasized the strikes’ precision and the bravery of U.S. pilots, comparing the operation’s impact to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while insisting the conflict with Iran was over due to a ceasefire. He expressed frustration with the media, calling them “scum” for questioning the strikes’ effectiveness. He slammed "fake news" CNN and New York Times, accusing them of lying to demean the "brave" American pilots that carried out the bombing.

Trump later announced in a Truth Social post that Hegseth would hold a follow-up press conference with "military representatives" on June 26 to provide “irrefutable” proof of the mission’s success.

Read full Article
post photo preview
SpaceX Private Ax-4 Astronauts Arrive At The Space Station

The SpaceX Ax-4 Crew Dragon "Grace" docked with the International Space Station (ISS) at 1031 UTC on June 26, and the hatches between the spacecraft and the station were opened at 1214 UTC. The station's current crew, including Exp. 73 commander JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, welcomed the Ax-4 astronauts abaord.

The spacecraft had launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket at 0631 UTC on June 25 for Houston-based Axiom Space, completing a 28-hour orbital journey to the space station.

Welcoming the Ax-4 crew mission commander Peggy Whitson, mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), mission specialists Sławosz Uznański (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), Onishi noted the presence of 11 astronauts from six countries on the ISS. He welcomed the crew, stating, “With your arrival right now, there are 11 astronauts from six countries, and all of us are here in order to advance human space exploration and scientific research, symbolizing international cooperation.”

The Ax-4 crew received their astronaut wings during the ceremony, with Whitson expressing appreciation for the support provided by the ISS crew and Kapu describing the Expedition 73 team as “the best crew” to join.

The Ax-4 crew will work alongside the Expedition 73 members, including NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Jonny Kim, JAXA’s Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Kirill Peskov, and Alexey Zubritsky.

"We're looking forward to getting a lot of work done with you guys, and I really appreciate all the support you provided for to us in advance of actually even getting here," Whitson said in response to Onishi.

"I'm very, very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing, advancing science and research and working together," said Shukla, mentioning that the view so far had surpassed his expectations.

"This is an ultimate scientific laboratory where we come to do science, to test the technologies of our countries, to do technology demonstrations and science outreach that I can't wait to do for the for the next two weeks, and we will all try to do our best representing our countries," Uznański said as he was handed the microphone.

Finally, as his wings were clipped to his jumpsuit, "I really feel that this is the best crew that you could join. It really feels great to be part of Expedition 73," said Kapu. "I'm 100% sure that this is going to be awesome."

The Ax-4 mission, a private astronaut mission, will last approximately 14 days, during which the crew will conduct over 60 scientific experiments, including seven proposed by India, such as studying water bears (tardigrades) in microgravity and investigations in bio-manufacturing and bio-astronautics.

==================

Falcon 9 rocket launched SpaceX's newest Dragon spacecraft, named "Grace," at 0631 UTC on June 25, 2025, from Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Ax-4 mission for Houston-based Axiom Space, to the International Space Station (ISS) is carrying former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is also Axiom's director of human spaceflight. Alongside her are mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster (B1094) touched down safely as planned about ~8 minutes after liftoff at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1(LZ 1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

About a minute later, the Falcon 9's second stage completed its orbital insertion and deployed Dragon to begin the final leg of Ax-4's journey to the space station.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the dorsal port of the space station's Harmony module at approximately 1100 UTC on June 26.

Grace is the fifth Crew Dragon in SpaceX's fleet, and was named by the Ax-4 crew, with its name symbolizing elegance and harmony in space exploration. Ax-4 is the Dragon's debut mission carrying the crew of four to the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft featured upgraded life-support systems, touchscreen controls, and autonomous docking capabilities.

The crew shared images of their mission's zero-g indicator, a plush baby swan toy named Joy, symbolized cultural values—wisdom (India), resilience (Poland), and grace (Hungary)—and signaled the crew’s arrival in microgravity.

The Ax-4 crew will spend about two weeks aboard the ISS, living and working alongside the seven long-term occupants of ISS Expedition 73. They will conduct more than 60 science experiments and STEM outreach events, the highest number on any Axiom mission to date, representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, and others.

The experiments focuses on:

  • Human Research: Studies on muscle regeneration and the impact of isolation on mental health.

  • Life and Biological Sciences: Investigations into how sprouts, edible microalgae, and tiny aquatic organisms grow and survive in microgravity.

  • Earth Observation: Research to support environmental monitoring.

  • Material Sciences: Technology demonstrations for future space applications.

The crew trained extensively for ISS operations, with access to the U.S. segment of the station, including the Columbus and Kibō modules. Educational outreach included interactive events with schools and communities in the crew’s home countries.

This mission marks the first time people from India, Poland, and Hungary have flown together to the ISS and represents the return of these countries to human spaceflight for the first time in 40 years  It is also the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS.

Whitson is a former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. She is the most experienced American astronaut, with 675 days in space prior to this mission. This was her fifth spaceflight and second time commanding an Axiom mission. She holds records for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut (10) and the most cumulative time in space by a U.S. astronaut.

Shukla is a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force and an astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Shukla became the second Indian to reach space and the first to serve in a critical operational role on an ISS mission. With over 2,000 hours of flight experience, he trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia and is part of India’s Gaganyaan program, set for 2027.

Uznański-Wiśniewski is a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut from the 2022 Astronaut Reserve Class. Uznański-Wiśniewski was the second Polish astronaut to travel to space and the first since 1978. An engineer with experience at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, he trained extensively in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. for the mission, carrying the Polish flag from the 1978 mission.

Kapu is representing the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program. Kapu was the second Hungarian astronaut to reach space and the first to visit the ISS. A mechanical engineer with expertise in space radiation protection, he was selected from 247 applicants and trained at NASA facilities.

"It has been more than 40 years since the first person from India, Poland and Hungary has been to space, and through this commercial space opportunity we are accelerating the national space programs in each of these three countries and creating new pathways for technological advancements," Whitson said at the crew's January press conferece. "I'm sure this crew is going to be inspiring a whole new generation of young people."

This is the second Axiom astronaut mission to the ISS that has been sponsored in part by another national government or the European Space Agency (ESA). Of the 60 experiments to be carried out by the Ax-4 crew, 17 are being supported by ESA and Poland, and 25 through Hungary's orbital astronaut program HUNOR.

"Each country who comes brings something different than what we have in the normal suite of what we see for our research," said NASA's ISS program manager Dana Weigel during a May 20 Ax-4 press call. "It really expands the breadth of what we can do with research and the number of countries, institutions, academic organizations, etc., who participate."

Thursday's launch was initially scheduled for June 11 but was delayed due to high altitude winds and a leak aboard the ISS.

The space station's aftmost module, Zvezda, has experienced an ongoing leak for more than five years now, but has remained stable during that time. Last week, a change in the pressure data that monitors the leak prompted NASA to delay Ax-4 while they monitored the issue.

Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals