On June 26, 2025, astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule, marking the first time astronauts from these countries are visiting the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, organized by private company Axiom Space, is commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and the first female chief astronaut and ISS commander. The four-member crew is expected to reach the ISS after about 28 hours and will spend 14 days conducting microgravity research. This mission represents a return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary after more than 40 years, and is the first time their astronauts are visiting the ISS. Axiom Space continues to expand its business of sending private and foreign government-sponsored astronauts to orbit and plans to develop a commercial space station to eventually replace the ISS.

* Article source : https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10518316