Which mission will feature astronauts from both ISRO and ESA?

The specific mission where astronauts representing both the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA) will fly together is Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). ^[1][7][8] This mission to the International Space Station (ISS) marks a significant moment not just for private spaceflight managed by Axiom Space, but for the increasing international cooperation between governmental space agencies in this new commercial era. ^[3][7]

# International Presence

Axiom-4 is notable for being a culturally diverse flight, featuring crew members from India, Poland (under ESA auspices), and Hungary, alongside a veteran American commander. ^[1][5] The mission slogan, “realize the return,” reflects its historic significance for these three nations, each of whom previously sent one astronaut to space decades ago as part of the Soviet Union’s Interkosmos program, but none of whom had previously had a presence on the ISS. ^[1][5] The flight is pivotal as it sends the first ISRO astronaut to the station as part of a joint effort with NASA, ^[3] and it marks the first time astronauts from India, Hungary, and Poland have all visited the orbiting laboratory. ^[1][5]

The crew assignment, pending final approval from the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP)—which includes representatives from NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, JAXA, and CSA—includes:

• Commander: Peggy Whitson (Axiom Space / former NASA astronaut). ^[1][3][8]
• Pilot: Shubhanshu Shukla (ISRO). ^[1][3][8]
• Mission Specialist: Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (ESA project astronaut from Poland). ^[1][3][8]
• Mission Specialist: Tibor Kapu (representing the Hungarian Space Office, HUNOR program). ^[1][3][8]

The mission utilizes SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon spacecraft, specifically the capsule named Grace. ^[1][3] Despite several technical postponements, including a liquid oxygen leak on the booster and a separate air leak detected on the ISS's Zvezda module, the mission successfully launched on June 25, 2025, and docked with the ISS the following day. ^[1][6] The stay aboard the ISS was planned for up to 14 days, although the actual duration of the mission concluded up to 20 days later. ^[1][5]

# ISRO and ESA Linkages

The presence of an ISRO astronaut and an ESA astronaut on the same commercial flight is underpinned by deepening bilateral agreements between the agencies. ^[4][7] ESA and ISRO formalized a cooperative relationship by signing a joint Statement of Intent focusing on human space exploration in low Earth orbit (LEO) and, secondarily, the Moon. ^[2] This agreement explicitly builds upon prior cooperation related to the Axiom Ax-4 commercial mission. ^[2]

The partnership covers several key areas:

1. Astronaut Training: Joint programs and the use of ESA facilities will be part of future astronaut preparation. ^[2][4] Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, the Polish ESA project astronaut, trained at various international facilities, including the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, as well as JAXA's Tsukuba Space Center and US facilities. ^[1]
2. Research Implementation: The agencies committed to working together on experiment development and integration for the ISS, including accessing ESA’s Columbus laboratory module facilities. ^[2][4]
3. Interoperability: A goal is to work on the interoperability of rendezvous and docking systems to allow their future spacecraft to communicate and connect in LEO. ^[2]

This collaboration provides a practical proving ground for integrating national research objectives within a commercial flight structure. For ISRO, participation in Ax-4 offers practical experience in areas crucial for their independent Gaganyaan program, such as real-time health telemetry, international crew integration, and experiment execution, which will directly inform astronaut preparedness and mission planning. ^[1][4]

What is the ISRO and ESA collaboration mission?

# Scientific Portfolios

The Ax-4 mission is scheduled to conduct the most research of any Axiom mission to date, featuring nearly 60 scientific studies representing over 30 countries. ^[1][5] The research slate reflects the strong national interests of the crew members' home countries and their agency partners.

# Indian Experiments

ISRO-led research focuses on advancing microgravity studies relevant to long-duration spaceflight and Earth applications. ^[5][8] A notable joint study with NASA involves the Myogenesis investigation, which uses muscle stem cell cultures to examine the muscle repair process and tests compounds that might support mitochondrial function, aiming to combat deterioration in space and aid muscle-wasting conditions on Earth. ^[1][8] Other ISRO-led studies look at:

• Cognitive effects of screen use. ^[1]
• Microbial adaptation and crop resilience. ^[1][5]
• Survival and transcriptome analysis of tardigrades. ^[1]

# ESA and Polish Contributions

The Polish astronaut's payload suite, developed under ESA guidance, falls under the Ignis mission designation. ^[1][8] This research focuses heavily on technology and life sciences relevant to long-duration missions and future exploration. ^[1][8] Experiments include:

• Testing methods to extend the shelf life of medicine, which can degrade due to cosmic radiation. ^[1][5]
• The END-SANS project, testing contact lenses with active pharmaceutical ingredients to potentially stabilize eye shape changes experienced by astronauts. ^[1]
• Studying astronauts' mental health and resilience via electroencephalography (EEG) neurofeedback. ^[1][5]

The very nature of embedding national research objectives within a commercial vehicle like Ax-4 highlights a crucial shift in how space agencies are managing their science portfolios. Rather than waiting for a dedicated government mission or relying solely on long-term ISS module time, agencies are finding fast-track access to microgravity through commercial partnerships. ^[7] This structure allows for rapid validation of technologies and biological studies that directly feed into national roadmaps like India’s Gaganyaan and the development of ESA standards for future collaboration. ^[1][2]

# Hungarian Program Focus

Hungary's participation is managed through the HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut program, which, while involving a Hungarian astronaut, was developed independently of ESA, though Hungary is an ESA member state. ^[1][3] Tibor Kapu is the second Hungarian astronaut in space historically, but the first from the nation to travel to the ISS since the post-Soviet era. ^[1][3] The research portfolio is diverse, including testing heart muscle cell development in space, monitoring radiation damage to DNA using fruit flies, and studying the mechanics of planet-scale atmospheric flows—like Saturn’s hexagon—in microgravity. ^[1]

Why are the Starliner astronauts stuck?

# Operational Context and Commercial Velocity

The success of Ax-4, despite the launch scrubs, is an indication of the growing maturity and resilience of the commercial space infrastructure managed by Axiom Space and SpaceX. ^[1][6] The mission utilized the Grace Crew Dragon capsule, which is the fifth and final vehicle in the current SpaceX Dragon rotation. ^[1] The fact that the booster, B1094, performed a return-to-launch-site (RTLS) landing at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) following its second flight demonstrates the rapid turnaround capabilities that private industry brings to mission cadence. ^[1] This faster cycle time, driven by reusability, is what makes commercial missions an attractive and cost-effective option for government agencies like ISRO and ESA looking to secure rapid access to the ISS for their personnel and specific scientific goals. ^[5]

A subtle but significant aspect of this entire endeavor is the cultural symbolism built around the mission. Axiom Space chose Joy, a plush baby swan, as the zero-g indicator. ^[1] This selection was intentionally linked to the cultural meanings of the swan across the participating nations: wisdom and purity in India, purity and resilience in Poland, and loyalty and grace in Hungary. ^[1] This level of intentional cultural integration, managed alongside complex technical and inter-agency agreements, shows a recognition that commercial flights are as much about soft diplomacy and national representation as they are about hard science.

Furthermore, the data exchange standards being discussed between ISRO and ESA, such as alignment on payloads and robotic missions to the Moon, suggest that the operational lessons learned from coordinating research and crew logistics on Ax-4 are being immediately applied to future deep space endeavors, extending this cooperation beyond LEO. ^[2] The ability of ISRO’s astronaut to conduct NASA/ISRO joint research while flying on a commercially-provided vehicle, supported by ESA-trained personnel, truly represents a multi-layered internationalization of orbital access that was rare just a decade ago. ^[3][5] This commercial pathway is, as one source noted, paving the way for NASA to maintain its LEO utilization while focusing its primary efforts on the Artemis Moon missions, making the entire ecosystem more sustainable. ^[2][3]

# Looking Ahead

The successful execution of Axiom-4—a mission combining a veteran American commander, a commercial pilot, an ESA project astronaut, and a national astronaut from India, all while conducting a high volume of nationally relevant science—serves as a powerful model. ^[5] This integrated approach, where national agencies secure flight slots through private partners to meet objectives tied to their own long-term aspirations (like India’s BAS space station), is likely to become the standard operating procedure for international access to orbital platforms moving forward. ^[1][2][4] The speed and flexibility afforded by the commercial launch providers, exemplified by the quick turnaround of the Falcon 9 booster, provide an essential component in keeping these complex, multi-national scientific goals on schedule. ^[5]

The foundation laid by the ISRO-ESA cooperation, tested in the immediate environment of Ax-4, points toward a future where specific European experiments might fly on Indian platforms, and vice versa, all facilitated by shared standards established during these crucial, commercially-mediated ISS stays. ^[2]