Overview
- After a technical delay from early June, Falcon 9 launched the Crew Dragon capsule on June 25 and it docked at 10:45 GMT on June 26 at the International Space Station
- The four-person crew comprises commander Peggy Whitson (USA) alongside Shubhanshu Shukla (India), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary)
- Astronauts will conduct about 60 microgravity experiments over two weeks, ranging from micro-algae cultivation to tardigrade biology and materials science
- India considers the flight a rehearsal for its independently crewed Gaganyaan mission scheduled for 2027
- Axiom Space’s partnership with SpaceX highlights NASA’s reliance on the Crew Dragon as the only US-certified spacecraft for ISS crew transport