Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP) — India, Poland and Hungary launched their first astronauts on Wednesday for more than 40 years, sending them on civilian flights to the International Space Station.
The three countries shared a two-week mission tab. Axiom Space, a Houston company that arranged the contract, has priced tickets at over $65 million per customer.
SpaceX’s Falcon Rocket exploded from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center two weeks late due to concerns about a leak at the space station. The top capsules weren’t alive when the country’s first astronauts set up, not just three newcomers heading into space – Peggy Whitson, America’s most experienced astronaut.
In addition to Whitson, the crew includes Indian Shuvansh Shukra and pilots from the Indian Air Force. Mechanical engineer, Tibor Kapu from Hungary. And Poland’s Slouz Uznanski Wysniewski was one of the astronauts, an expert on radiation and one of the astronauts on the European Space Agency’s projects, and was sometimes a temporary duty.
The astronauts are scheduled to arrive at the orbital lab the following morning.
In addition to dozens of experiments, astronauts are flying foods celebrating their heritage. Spicy Hungarian paprika paste. Polish clover frozen.
Bertalan Farkas, Hungary’s first astronaut, supported Kapu from the launch site.
“In a small country like Hungary, it’s really important to cooperate in peaceful international space cooperation,” Farkas told The Associated Press. He called it “one of the most important moments” of his life.
Farcus was founded with the Soviets in 1980 and took over the teddy bear wearing an astronaut suit that returned to Capu. The former Indian and Polish astronauts were founded with the Soviets in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Uznanski Wysniewsky lifted up the Polish flag worn on his predecessor’s space suit. It was noted that Miloslow Hermeskisky was his biggest supporter until his death in 2022. Shukla said he was a mentor “at every stage of this journey” and was flying a surprise gift for him.
Others born in India and Hungary have previously flew in space, including Kalpanachaura, a NASA astronaut who died on the shuttle Colombia in 2003, and Charles Simony, a two-time space tourist of Microsoft fame, but they were US citizens at the time of launch.
Shukla said before the flight he hopes to “ignite the curiosity of all my generations” and promotes innovation. Like his crew, he plans some outreach events with people returning home.
“I really believe this is a journey of 1.4 billion people despite traveling to space as an individual,” he said.
This was the fourth charter flight to the Axiom Space Station since 2022, and Whitson’s second flight as an axiom crew and chaperone. The trip left her missing out on guiding her to the U.S. Astronauts Hall of Fame late last month, as she was in quarantine before the flight. Whitson joined Axiom after retiring from NASA almost a decade ago, recording her career on the line for nearly two years.
Against non-traditional station guests, NASA throws out a welcome mat and charges for food and maintenance, claiming that an experienced astronaut will be accompanied by it.
It’s all part of NASA’s push towards open space and includes the moon. The axiom is one of several US companies planning to launch their own space stations in the coming years. The goal is for them to start running after more than 30 years of operation before the International Bureau drops off in 2031.
Access to the space “is no longer just the largest institutions. Space is for everyone,” said Uznansky Wysniewski of Poland prior to the liftoff. He repeated his emotions as he reached orbit.
The Hungarians “sit at the same table as the giants,” Kap said. Through this mission, “Hungary will take one step closer to the stars.”
They should have flew earlier this year, but their mission was delayed following the switching of the SpaceX capsule. The change allowed NASA’s two stack astronauts Butchwillmore and Snee Williams to return to Earth earlier than planned in March.
Axioms astronauts faced more launch delays upon their arrival in Florida. SpaceX had to fix the oxygen leaks to the rocket, and NASA put crew visits on hold indefinitely, monitoring long-standing air leak repairs on the Russian side of the space station.
Upon reaching orbit, the astronaut radioed the message in his native language, revealing the name he gave to the brand new capsule: Grace.
“Good things come to those who are waiting,” SpaceX told the crew. “Godspeed to Grace’s Maiden’s crew.”
SpaceX CEO and launched by Florida and California, Elon Musk’s Falcon Rockets are much smaller than the spacecraft that will be testing flights from Texas, and will explode one after another this year. A reliable frequent flyer, Falcon has been carrying its crew on orbit since 2020.
NASA needs a lunar spaceship, and masks assume it for their trip to Mars.
