International Space Station welcomes its first astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary

6 hours ago 1
SpaceX Falcon 9 crew, Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organization, from left, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander Peggy Whitson, and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, pose for a photo before departing for a launch to the International Space Station at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Tuesday, June 24, 2025.SpaceX Falcon 9 crew, Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organization, from left, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander Peggy Whitson, and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, pose for a photo before departing for a launch to the International Space Station at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Photo by Terry Renna /AP

Article content

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first astronauts in more than 40 years from India, Poland and Hungary arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday, ferried there by SpaceX on a private flight.

Financial Post

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.
  • Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
  • Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.
  • Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
  • Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account.
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
  • Enjoy additional articles per month.
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors.

THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
  • Enjoy additional articles per month
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

or

Article content

The crew of four will spend two weeks at the orbiting lab, performing dozens of experiments. They launched Wednesday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Article content

Article content

America’s most experienced astronaut, Peggy Whitson, is the commander of the visiting crew. She works for Axiom Space, the Houston company that arranged the chartered flight.

Article content

Article content

Besides Whitson, the crew includes India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, a pilot in the Indian Air Force; Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer; and Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a radiation expert and one of the European Space Agency’s project astronauts on temporary flight duty.

Article content

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

Article content

No one has ever visited the International Space Station from those countries before. In fact, the last time anyone rocketed into orbit from those countries was in the late 1970s and 1980s, traveling with the Soviets.

Article content

It’s the fourth Axiom-sponsored flight to the space station since 2022. The company is one of several that are developing their own space stations due to launch in the coming years.

Article content

___

Article content

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Article content

Read Entire Article