At 8:14 a.m. EDT on Thursday, June 26, 2025, the hatch opened between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station following the arrival of Axiom Mission 4. The spacecraft docked at 6:31 a.m. to the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module. The four astronauts aboard included one from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), a NASA update said.
Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary now are aboard the space station after launching at 2:31 a.m. on June 25, on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4.
The private astronauts plan to spend about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities for about two weeks before a return to Earth and splashdown off the coast of California.
“Congratulations to Axiom Space and SpaceX on a successful launch,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro as the astronauts lifted off on 25th. She also said, “America has expanded international participation and commercial capabilities in low Earth orbit. U.S. industry is enabling astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to return to space for the first time in over forty years.”
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A collaboration between NASA and ISRO allowed Axiom Mission 4 to deliver on a commitment highlighted by President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station, NASA said. The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations. “
NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space collaboration,” the agency added.