On 26 June 2025, ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and his crewmates arrived at the International Space Station on the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).
Ax4 launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, on 25 June at 07:31 BST / 08:31 CEST (02:31 local time). Travelling in the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft Grace, they docked with the Station after approximately 28 hours orbiting Earth.
The Polish project astronaut is the second of a new generation of European astronauts to fly on a commercial human spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space.
Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA head of Space and Robotic Exploration, explains that Ignis mission will include an ambitious technological and scientific programme with several experiments led by ESA and proposed by the Polish space industry.
The Ignis mission — named after the Latin word for “fire” — officially began upon Sławosz’s entry into the Station. Over the course of the two-week stay, he will conduct 13 experiments proposed by Polish institutions in collaboration with ESA, alongside three additional ESA-led investigations in areas such as human physiology, biotechnology, materials science and space technology.
See how the Ignis mission began aboard the International Space Station: