An historic mission began early on Wednesday (25 June) as astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary were launched to the International Space Station (ISS) for their countries’ first-ever visit. They were joined by NASA veteran Peggy Whitson.
The crew lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at approximately 2:30 a.m. EDT, embarking on a mission organized by Texas-based startup Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX.
The four astronauts - Peggy Whitson of the U.S., Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary - were carried aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket.
This launch marked the first Crew Dragon flight since Elon Musk briefly considered retiring the spacecraft amid political tensions earlier this month.
After a roughly 28-hour flight, the capsule is expected to dock with the ISS, orbiting 402 kilometres (250 miles) above Earth.
Onboard, the crew will spend 14 days conducting microgravity research alongside the station’s current seven occupants - three Americans, one Japanese, and three Russian cosmonauts.
For India, Poland, and Hungary, this mission represents a major milestone: their first human spaceflight missions to the ISS in more than 40 years. The flight also acts as a stepping stone for India’s Gaganyaan crewed spacecraft, planned for launch in 2027.
Leading the crew is Peggy Whitson, a retired NASA astronaut and the first woman to command two ISS expeditions. With 675 days in space - the U.S. record - Whitson now serves as Axiom’s director of human spaceflight.
The mission was delayed by one day due to the weather but successfully launched early Wednesday, marking the fourth private astronaut flight arranged by Axiom since 2022 as the company expands its commercial space endeavours.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies regained value following a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, bouncing back after steep losses during the 12-day conflict.
Switzerland is taking steps toward deeper defence cooperation with the European Union, launching talks on a non-binding arms partnership while maintaining its neutral stance.
U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on Wednesday that American strikes caused “very severe” damage to Iranian nuclear sites, despite leaked intelligence reports suggesting otherwise.
Masked law enforcement officers have detained Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the 'Sacred Struggle' movement in Armenia. He is accused of preparing terrorist attacks and an alleged attempt to seize power, according to the Investigative Committee.
The United States is not planning to impose additional sanctions on Russia for now, aiming instead to keep diplomatic channels open to pursue a peace deal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies regained value following a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, bouncing back after steep losses during the 12-day conflict.
Switzerland is taking steps toward deeper defence cooperation with the European Union, launching talks on a non-binding arms partnership while maintaining its neutral stance.
U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on Wednesday that American strikes caused “very severe” damage to Iranian nuclear sites, despite leaked intelligence reports suggesting otherwise.
Masked law enforcement officers have detained Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the 'Sacred Struggle' movement in Armenia. He is accused of preparing terrorist attacks and an alleged attempt to seize power, according to the Investigative Committee.
The United States is not planning to impose additional sanctions on Russia for now, aiming instead to keep diplomatic channels open to pursue a peace deal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
Japan's ispace Inc. blamed an anomaly in a laser range finder for its second unsuccessful attempt at landing a spacecraft on the moon in early June.
Britain’s competition regulator may force Google to rank businesses more fairly in search results and provide consumers with alternative services, using new powers to regulate tech giants.
Pope Leo XIV spoke to political leaders in Rome on Saturday, urging them to remember that artificial intelligence is just a tool — not a replacement for humans.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has outlined an ambitious vision for human settlements in space by 2040, with autonomous “space oases” on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies regained value following a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, bouncing back after steep losses during the 12-day conflict.
Switzerland is taking steps toward deeper defence cooperation with the European Union, launching talks on a non-binding arms partnership while maintaining its neutral stance.
U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on Wednesday that American strikes caused “very severe” damage to Iranian nuclear sites, despite leaked intelligence reports suggesting otherwise.
Masked law enforcement officers have detained Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the 'Sacred Struggle' movement in Armenia. He is accused of preparing terrorist attacks and an alleged attempt to seize power, according to the Investigative Committee.
The United States is not planning to impose additional sanctions on Russia for now, aiming instead to keep diplomatic channels open to pursue a peace deal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
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