"A 70-meter-tall SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a rounded Dragon spacecraft on top awaits the launch of the Axiom Mission 4 crew. The sky is clear and sunny." by Nattanon Dungsunenarn is marked with CC0 1.0.
A Trip to Space!
On June 25, 2025, a space mission called Axiom-4 went to space from [[Kennedy Space Center::The place in the USA where rockets begin their journey.]], USA.
It took [[astronauts::People who travel and work in space.]] from four countries, including India, to the [[International Space Station::A big space home that orbits Earth where astronauts live and work.]] (ISS).
The spaceship was named 'Grace' to show the calm and beauty of space travel.
About The Mission
The astronauts flew in a [[spacecraft::The ship that flies in space.]] called Dragon. It was made by a company named [[SpaceX::The company that made the Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket.]].
A rocket called Falcon-9 helped the Dragon go up into space.
The mission was first planned on June 11, but it was delayed because of a [[fuel leak::When rocket fuel drips out before launch and can cause delays.]] and bad weather.
In space, everything floats! This is called [[microgravity::A state in space where things float because gravity is very weak.]]. It means things feel to have almost no weight because gravity is very weak there.
The spacecraft took about 29 hours to reach the ISS. It used smart and new machines to connect safely.
The astronauts will stay in space for 14 days. They will live, work, and do experiments there.
Who Are The Astronauts?
There were four astronauts in the Axiom-4 team.
Dr. Peggy Whitson from the USA was the leader. She has been to space many times before.
Shubhanshu Shukla from India is the pilot of the mission. He is a fighter pilot and has flown planes for over 2,000 hours!
The other two astronauts are Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. They are both scientists.
All four are working together in space to make this mission successful.
What Are They Doing in Space?
The astronauts are doing 60 science experiments that are impossible to do on Earth.
They are checking how plants and [[algae::Tiny green plants that grow in water and that astronauts study in space.]] grow in space. They are also learning how muscles heal.
They are even studying tiny animals called [[tardigrades::Tiny animals so small you need a microscope to see them, used in space tests.]] to see how they live in space.
These experiments help us learn new things about space travel.
What Will Happen Next?
Axiom-4 is part of a big plan to build the first private [[space station::A large structure that orbits Earth where astronauts live and do experiments.]] by 2028.
That means more people may visit space in the future!
For India, this mission helps [[ISRO::India’s space agency that plans and carries out space missions.]] get ready for its own spaceflight called Gaganyaan.
Axiom-4 shows that kids everywhere can dream big and maybe go to space one day, too!
Quick Revision
Axiom-4 went to space on June 25, 2025, carrying astronauts to the International Space Station.
They flew in a Dragon spacecraft made by SpaceX.
4 astronauts went, including India’s Shubhanshu Shukla.
They will stay 14 days and do science experiments in zero gravity.
This mission helps future space stations and India’s Gaganyaan.
