keneci
News • Science & Tech • Comedy
Ax-4: SpaceX Launches Private Astronaut Mission To ISS For Axiom Space
June 25, 2025
post photo preview

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.

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
Ex-FBI Director James Comey Indicted By Grand Jury For Obstruction Of Justice Lying To Congress

A federal grand jury on Thursday,  in Northern Virginia indicted former FBI Director James Comey on two felony counts: one for making false statements to Congress and one for obstruction of justice. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5–10 years in prison.

These charges arise from Comey's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, during which prosecutors allege he provided misleading information about his handling of the FBI's investigation into contacts between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The indictment was unsealed late Thursday, marking a significant escalation in the long-simmering feud between Comey and President Trump, who was re-elected in 2024. The trial date has not been set, but it could extend into 2026.

Comey served as FBI Director from 2013 until his abrupt firing by Trump in May 2017, amid the early stages of the Russia investigation. Trump has long accused Comey of orchestrating a "witch hunt" against him, blaming the former director for the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose probe dominated much of Trump's first term.

The charges stem from Comey's 2020 congressional testimony, where he reportedly downplayed the extent of his communications with Trump regarding the Russia probe and his role in leaking memos about those interactions.

The case gained momentum earlier this year when the Secret Service interrogated Comey over a social media post showing seashells arranged as "86 47"—a reference interpreted by Trump allies as a coded assassination threat against the president (the 47th). Comey deleted the post, calling it a "restaurant-themed joke" about removing Trump from office.

Responding in a video message, Comey declared: "I'm not afraid.. I'm innocent. Let's have a trial."

President Trump celebrated the indictment on social media, posting: "Today he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts. He has been so bad for our Country, for so many years... One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to." Supporters echoed this sentiment, with conservative commentator Jesse Kelly warning that the trial's location—potentially in Washington, D.C.—could lead to an acquittal due to liberal bias of the jury pool.

Read full Article
post photo preview
'I Control Donald Trump:' Netanyahu Brags To World Leaders -Tucker Carlson

Popular American commentator, journalist and conservative firebrand Tucker Carlson has publicly accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of boasting to foreign leaders that he controls both President Donald Trump and U.S. foreign policy, calling the situation "humiliating" for America.

The Tucker Carlson Show host made these remarks during a recent appearance on the System Update podcast hosted by Glenn Greenwald, where he also criticized U.S. support for Israel's war in Gaza and argued that American leaders are being forced into actions detrimental to the nation's interests.

Carlson stated he has direct knowledge of Netanyahu's claims based on conversations with people who heard him say it, asserting that the Israeli leader is "running around" the Middle East and telling people point blank, "I control the United States. I control Donald Trump."

The conservative firebrand emphasized that his criticism is directed at U.S. leaders who, in his view, are allowing the country to be subjected to a "humiliation ritual" due to foreign influence, arguing that this undermines the fundamental relationship between citizens and their government.

Carlson described Israel's military actions in Gaza as an "expansion" and dismissed accusations of bigotry against him, stating he is not hurt by such labels because he knows he is not a bigot.

The conservative commentator has faced backlash from Jewish Zionists, for his remarks at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, where he recounted a story likening Kirk’s murder to the crucifixion of Jesus, including a scene of men in a lamplit room eating hummus plotting to kill Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthews 26: 1-5).

Critics, including Jewish groups and Israeli officials, have condemned the speech as an antisemitic dogwhistle, arguing that the reference to hummus—a modern Middle Eastern food—was a deliberate and offensive trope implying Jewish involvement in Kirk’s assassination.

Carlson defended his remarks in the System Update podcast interview., pointing out that he categorically and publicly makes his views about Israel and Netanyahu known, and doesn't need to imply it in a speech about Kirk.

While prominent Zionist and Jewish neoconservative voices criticized the speech, many MAGA-aligned conservative movement’s figures, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and former Congressman and OANN host Matt Gaetz praised Carlson's speech.

The controversy underscores the growing concern on the American right over Israeli influence on U.S. foreign policy especially in the Middle East. Growing number of conservatives -- traditionally allied with the Israeli right -- have started in recent years, started questioning the policies of Netanyahu's government in the region since the break out of the ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. "It is America First, not Israel First," is a common meme on social media among right-leaning critics of Trump's bizarrely submissive pro-Israel policies.

Read full Article
post photo preview
KA-03: ULA Atlas V Launches 27 Amazon Project Kuiper Internet Satellites

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket successfully launched 27 Project Kuiper broadband satellites into low Earth orbit on Thursday, Sept, 25, at 1209 UTC from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The Atlas V 551 rocket, featuring five GEM 63 solid rocket boosters and a single RL10C-1-1 engine on its Centaur upper stage, lifted off on schedule. The launch window was 29 minutes long, and favorable weather conditions, with a 95% chance of acceptable conditions, were confirmed by the U.S. Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron.

The payload fairing, a 23-meter composite shroud, was jettisoned after ascent through the atmosphere. The Centaur upper stage's main engine cutoff (MECO) was confirmed, and the 27 satellites were successfully deployed at an initial altitude of 450 kilometers(km).

The satellites will now be gradually raised to their operational orbit of 630 km by Amazon's mission operations center in Redmond, Washington.

The Kuiper 3 (or KA-03) mission marks the fifth launch for Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation and the third batch of satellites delivered by ULA on the Atlas V rocket. The launch was part of a morning doubleheader, following a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch carrying 28 Starlink satellites just hours earlier.

This launch is the third of nine planned Atlas V missions for Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation, with the remaining five scheduled before transitioning to the next-generation Vulcan rocket.

ULA is delivering more than half of the constellation's 3,200 satellites under the world's largest commercial launch agreement. These spacecraft will be lofted on more than 80 launches performed by a variety of rockets — SpaceX's Falcon 9, Arianespace's Ariane 6, Blue Origin's New Glenn and ULA's Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur.

Thursday's successful launch brings Amazon's total number of in-orbit Project Kuiper satellites to 129. Project Kuiper faces competition from SpaceX's Starlink, which operates the world's largest satellite constellation with over 8,000 satellites as of September 2025.

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