After several postponements, SpaceX successfully launched the private Ax-4 mission. It will dock with the ISS in the near future.
The Ax-4 mission is being carried out by Axiom Space. This is its fourth flight to the ISS. The Crew Dragon spacecraft crew consists of four people: former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (commander), Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Hungarian engineer Tibor Kapu, and Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. For representatives from India, Poland, and Hungary, this flight will be their first visit to the ISS in history.
In addition, Shubhanshu Shukla is one of four pilots who will be part of the crew of the Indian spacecraft, Gaganyaan. Most likely, he will command India’s first national space mission.
Ax-4 was launched on June 25. The Falcon 9 rocket successfully delivered the Crew Dragon spacecraft to its designated orbit. It is expected to dock with the ISS on June 26.
It is worth noting that Ax-4 headed to the ISS after a series of postponements. Initially, the flight was delayed due to a malfunction in the launch vehicle. Then, due to air leakage from the Russian segment, discussions were once again initiated regarding the advisability of continuing the station’s operation and the possibility of its early decommissioning.
According to Phys.org
