India, Poland, and Hungary’s Astronauts Launch on Privately Funded Mission to Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — On Wednesday, India, Poland, and Hungary celebrated a significant milestone by launching their first astronauts in over four decades on a private flight to the International Space Station. The three countries collaborated financially to support this two-week mission, with Axiom Space from Houston facilitating the journey at a ticket price exceeding $65 million per person.

The launch, which took place two weeks later than planned due to concerns over a leak in the space station, saw SpaceX’s Falcon rocket lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The mission included not only the new astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, but also the highly experienced Peggy Whitson, America’s most seasoned astronaut.

The crew consists of India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, a pilot with the Indian Air Force; Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer from Hungary; and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a radiation expert from Poland and a project astronaut for the European Space Agency. They are expected to reach the International Space Station the following morning.

Besides conducting numerous scientific experiments, the astronauts also brought food that reflects their cultural backgrounds—Indian curry with rice and mango nectar, spicy Hungarian paprika paste, and freeze-dried Polish pierogies. Former Hungarian astronaut Bertalan Farkas expressed great pride in supporting Kapu from the launch site, addressing the importance of international collaboration in space.

Uznanski-Wisniewski carried a Polish flag worn by his predecessor, demonstrating a connection to the past, while Shukla honored India’s first astronaut, Rakesh Sharma, by bringing a surprise gift for him. Notably, while individuals from these countries have traveled to space before, this mission marks a new era of collaboration.

As space opens to private enterprises, NASA’s evolving policies now enable more nations to partake in the exploration journey. With the ambition of launching future private space stations, these initiatives signify a shift towards inclusivity in space travel, a sentiment echoed by the astronauts as they embarked on their historic mission.