Multinational Crew Returns from ISS, Marking Firsts for Several Nations

A multinational team of astronauts has safely returned to Earth after a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The crew included the first space travelers from India, Poland, and Hungary to reach the ISS. Their return concluded the Axiom-4 mission, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean aboard a SpaceX capsule.

The reentry marked the end of the fourth privately funded spaceflight to the ISS, organized by Axiom Space in collaboration with SpaceX. The capsule, named Grace, landed off the coast of San Diego, California, after a fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere.

The mission was led by Peggy Whitson, a retired NASA astronaut and the U.S. agency's first female chief astronaut. Whitson, now with Axiom, increased her national record to 695 days in space across five missions.

The crew also included Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. They represented their countries' first-ever government missions to the ISS.

During their 18-day stay, the astronauts conducted over 60 microgravity experiments and brought back scientific samples for analysis on Earth.

For India, the mission is viewed as a step towards the launch of its Gaganyaan crewed spacecraft, anticipated in 2027. Poland's astronaut flew under the European Space Agency, while Hungary's participant was part of the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program.

Axiom's fourth mission continues its business model of launching astronauts sponsored by foreign governments and private clients. The company is also developing a commercial space station, aiming to potentially replace the aging ISS by 2030.