Written by Krzysztof Karwowski, Julia Lasiota
In short:
- Pole's first flight on ISS and Pole's second always flight into space.
- The inclusion of fresh states in manned missions clearly shows the changing structure of competition and dominance in space.
- In turn, the IGNIS mission pursues Polish strategical goals in the rapidly developed national space sector, and is an crucial tool for promoting the increasing Polish space sector: strengthening the position of POLSA and Polish universities and companies active in this hard but prestigious venture.
What do we know about the mission?
The Axis Mission 4 (Ax-4) mission is simply a commercial manned mission to the global Space Station (ISS) organized by Axis Space in collaboration with the American NASA Agency, the ESA European Space Agency, the Indian ISRO Space investigation Organization and another global partners. It is the 4th manned mission of Axiom Space and the second mission in which ESA's plan astronaut participates. This time it is Polish, Dr. Sławomi Uznański-Wiśniewski. The first launch date was 2024. Later, the mission was moved to the next year setting the deadline for 29 May 2025 (depending on the weather window available) [1]. In addition to the Polish crew are [1, 2]:
American Peggy Whitson as Mission Commander. Whitson has a PhD in biochemistry and is simply a NASA veteran, erstwhile space shuttle astronaut. In her account she has the longest female presence in space and the longest number of female spacewalks. He presently serves as manager of Manned Flight at Axiom Space.
Indus Shubhanshu Shukla as mission pilot and ISRO representative. Shukla is an experienced combat and experimental pilot, an officer of the Indian Air Force flying on fighter aircraft (MiG-29, Su-30). He graduated from IT and military studies. India kind Shukla as a associate or pilot of the first independent Indian space mission planned by the ISRO for 2026 or 2027.
Hungary Tibor Kapu as a mission specialist selected under the Hungarian-funded Hungarian to Orbit Programme (HUNOR). Kapu is simply a mechanic engineer with a diploma from the method and economical University of Budapest, and has besides made many investigation and training visits in Belgium and the USA.
Photo 1. Ax-4 mission crew. From left: Uznański-Wiśniewski, Whitson, Shukla, Kapu (source: NASA)The launch point is to be the JFK Space Flight Center (NASA), and the Crew Dragon Ax-4 vehicle is to carry out the Falcon 9 (Space X) rocket. The destination will be the global Space Station – ISS, and the site of the technological site of the task The European laboratory Module Columbus [2, 3].
Axiom Space
The American company Axis Space clearly grows up to be 1 of the key players of the fresh wave of commercialization of space. Founded in 2016, the company intensively develops projects related to manned space flights and the construction of the first private space station in orbit around the Earth, Axiom Station. The company is already working with NASA today, carrying out manned missions to the global Space Station (ISS) via SpaceX Dragon ships, and its plans presume the attachment of its own modules to the ISS in the second half of the decade. The creation of a full commercial orbital station is intended to enable the improvement of the space marketplace in areas specified as space tourism, biomedical investigation and microgravity production, and to supply the US with an infrastructure advantage during the planned expiry of the ISS [3].
Axiom's dynamic improvement is part of a broader trend in strengthening the American private sector in space, where public-private cooperation becomes a key component of the national strategy. The construction of Axiom Station is besides a consequence to increasing competition from China, which systematically expands its own station Tiangong (天宫空间站 – Space Station "The Heavenly Palace") and search global partners for their initiatives [4]. For the United States, as well as for allied states, the success of the Axis task can become not only an impulse for the commercialization of space, but besides a tool for strengthening geopolitical influences in this fresh domain [5].
Sławomi Uznański-Wiśniewski – who is the second Pole in space?
Dr. Sławomi Uznański-Wiśniewski (born 1984) is simply a Polish engineer and astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA). He is the second Pole after Mirosław Hermaszewski, who was qualified to fly into space under the ESA programme. Specializes in radiation-resistant systems for space applications. He graduated from Łódź University of Technology, Université de Nantes and Université d’Aix-Marseille (doctorate, 2011). For over a decade, he has been associated with the European Organization for atomic investigation (CERN), where he led projects for the large Hadron Collider (LHC). In 2022 he joined the ESA reserve corps and in 2024 was assigned to the Ax-4 mission to the global Space Station [6].
Fig. 2. Sławomir Uznański-Wiśniewski (source: ESA)"IGNIS" – jump into the fire of science
The planned duration of Ax-4 is 14 days. As part of the flight with Axis Pole, he will participate in the first Polish technological and technological mission on ISS called IGNIS [7]. During the IGNIS mission, a number of technological and technological experiments selected in the competition organized by the Polish Space Agency in cooperation with Polish technological and investigation institutions and companies will be conducted. The submitted projects were selected through open recruitment, which aimed at identifying the most promising concepts that could benefit from unique orbital flight conditions. Experiments include, among others, astromedical studies, sensor tests, radiation measurements and microgravity experiments. any of them have already started the preparatory or investigating phase, with fresh data for Polish space investigation and possible applications in industry.
Unlike Mirosław Hermaszewski – cosmonauts sent into space as part of the Polish contribution to the russian program "Intercosmos" (mission Soyuz 30), Uznański-Wiśniewski will so be astronaut (US-launched space flight passenger).
Photo 3. Return capsule of the ship M. Hermaszewski – Soyuz 30 at the exhibition of the Polish Military Technology Museum (photo: K. Karwowski)
Why is that important? [13]
The first Pole on the ISS and the second in past in space is simply a breakthrough in the improvement of the national space sector (cooperation with POLSA, industry, universities and discipline centres). The inclusion of fresh countries (Poland, Hungary, India) in manned missions clearly shows the changing structure of competition in space. In turn, the IGNIS mission pursues Polish strategical objectives in a dynamic home space sector:
- Building unique competences in the space sector.
- Accelerating the commercialisation of technology.
- Strengthening the position of Poland as a trusted partner of ESA.
- Crossing the way for subsequent commercial manned missions with the participation of Polish entities.
- Implementation of Polish Space strategy (2017) in practice.
Due to the increasing – mainly private – investment in space technologies, Poland is simply a European emerging market. The number and engagement of companies in the defence & space sector is disproportionately advanced to the symbolic only engagement of central authorities and funds. The flight, conducted during its experiments and the communicative related to it after appropriate use, may translate into an increase in the competitiveness and visibility of the Polish sector on the global stage. The mission of Uznański-Wiśniewski will let Polish space centers to gain the alleged flight title (experience or "inheritance of space flight") – a key component in space certification. Private Polish space companies deserve peculiar designation already [8, 9]:
Table 1. Key companies in the Polish space sector (CEI development)Other crucial companies include ScanWay (space optics, space telescopes), Sender (satellite transfer, precision mechanics) or state-owned institutes “The Łukasiewicz investigation Network – Institute of Aviation” carrying out rocket engineering (Bursztyn space rocket), military and civilian aviation satellites and systems, and ITWL Air Force method Institute (situation awareness, tracking of objects in space) [8, 9].
The actions of the Pole in orbit – decently advertised – have a chance to stimulate collective social imagination. This in turn will let the improvement of staff and promotion of Polish discipline in Poland and abroad. In the face of demographic depression and the needs of Polish innovation, it will be essential to have constant access to high-quality talents and to hold the most promising people, projects and competences in the country. specified symbolic “unlocking” of Polish technological possible after more than 45 years of Hermaszewski's mission can inspire the discipline of STEM subjects, applications for technological and method studies and hobby improvement of space projects [13]. In the table below, the most active Polish universities together with their achievements in the space sector are collected [8, 9]:
Table 2. Space experience of Polish universities (development. INE)Summary
Doctor Uznański-Wiśniewski's mission is more than a symbolic motion and the export of Polish dumplings into space. This is an crucial step forward in the Polish space program, which has been struggling for a long time, despite small-scale successes, with a deficiency of visibility in national and global perception [1, 13]. Emphasis on the Polish contribution to space investigation with dual, civil-military application, and the benefits of it are an crucial scientific, prestigious and economical impulse, so flight itself and its subsequent effects should be promoted. specified communicative should be included in the list of the most crucial marketing and diplomatic activities of Poland throughout 2025 [6, 7, 10].
Update
On 16 May, it was reported that the mission had been postponed from its first launch date on 29 May to 8 June [11]. According to NASA's procedures on May 25, astronauts launched a pre-launch quarantine. Prior to the publication of this text, a redeployment to the launch window was released on Monday 9 June [12].
Bibliography
[1] POLSA. IGNIS Mission. Downloaded 26.05.2025 from https://polsa.gov.pl/events/ignis/
[2] MRIT. IGNIS – the first Polish mission to the global Space Station. Downloaded 26.05.2025 from https://www.gov.pl/web/development-technology/ignis-first-Polish-mission-international-space stations
[3] Axiom Space Missions. Downloaded 30.05.2025 from https://www.axisspace.com/missions
[4] Karwowski, K. & INE (2024). Chinese space diplomacy. Downloaded 22.05.2025 from https://ine.org.pl/Chinese-space diplomacy-open-but-to-all/
[5] Axiom website. Downloaded 26.05.2025 from https://www.axisspace.com/
[6] Łódź University of Technology (2024). Space graduate. Sławomir Uznański. Downloaded 27.05.2025 from https://p.lodz.pl/university/updates/cosmic-absorbent-en
[7] ESA (2024). Sławomir Uznański-Wiśniewski. Downloaded 26.05.2025 from https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Slawosz_Uznanski-Wisniewski
[8] POLSA (2024). Base of entities of the Polish space sector. Downloaded 26.05.2025 from https://polsa.gov.pl/o-catalogue/base-entities/
[9] SGH (2025). Space talks [6]. Polish space sector. Downloaded 28.05.2025 from https://www.youtube.com/embed/fQGvLK1CMOY&list=PLED2KqSSukba5-9DXeE2GvhzetRMh-gCo&index=6&ab_channel=SGHWarsawSchoolofEconomics
[10] Polsat (2025). "Today's chance for us in Poland". Sławomi Uznański-Wiśniewski about flying into space. Downloaded 28.05.2025 from https://www.youtube.com/embed/vmVuJveQrY&ab_channel=polsatnews.pl
[11] Kanawka, K. & Kosmonauta.net (2025). fresh Ax-4 mission launch date. Downloaded 31.05.2025 from https://cosmonauta.net/2025/05/new-date-start-mission-ax-4/
[12] Grabański, R. & Urania (2025). The Ax-4 mission astronaut quarantine is underway. Downloaded 31.05.2025 from www.urania.edu.pl/news/permanent-quarantine-astronaut-mission-ax-4
[13] Rozek, T. & Science. That's what I like (2025). Why aren't we delivering? Downloaded 31.05.2025 from https://www.youtube.com/embed/jeHCM4eHdwik&ab_channel=Science.ToLubi%C4%99
Photos:
Photo 1. Downloaded 30.05.201025 from https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-participate-in-next-private-astronaut-mission-teleconference/
Photo 2. Downloaded 30.05.201025 from https://www.esa.int/Space_in_Member_States/Poland/Slawosz_Uznanski-Wisniewski
Fig. 3. K. Karwowski. Private Archive
