CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) 鈥 India, Poland and Hungary launched their first astronauts in more than 40 years Wednesday, sending them on a private flight to the International Space Station.
The three countries shared the tab for the two-week mission. , the Houston company that arranged the deal, put the ticket price at more than $65 million per customer.
SpaceX鈥檚 Falcon rocket blasted off from NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center two weeks late because of space station leak concerns. The capsule on top carried not only the three newcomers to space 鈥 none of whom were alive when their countries鈥 first astronauts launched 鈥 but America鈥檚 most experienced astronaut, .
Besides Whitson, the crew includes India鈥檚 Shubhanshu Shukla, a pilot in the Indian Air Force; Hungary鈥檚 Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer; and Poland鈥檚 Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a radiation expert and one of the European Space Agency鈥檚 project astronauts sometimes pressed into temporary duty.
The astronauts are due to arrive at the orbiting lab the next morning.
In addition to dozens of experiments, the astronauts are flying food that celebrates their heritage: Indian curry and rice with mango nectar; spicy Hungarian paprika paste; and freeze-fried Polish pierogies.
Hungary鈥檚 first astronaut, Bertalan Farkas, traveled to the launch site to cheer on Kapu.
Farkas launched with the Soviets in 1980, taking along a teddy bear in a cosmonaut suit that went back up with Kapu. India and Poland鈥檚 original astronauts also launched with the Soviets in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Uznanski-Wisniewski carried up the Polish flag worn on his predecessor鈥檚 spacesuit, noting that Miroslaw Hermaszewski was his biggest supporter until his death in 2022. India鈥檚 first astronaut, Rakesh Sharma, couldn鈥檛 make it to Florida for the launch; Shukla said he鈥檚 been a mentor 鈥渁t every step of this journey鈥 and is flying a surprise gift for him.
While others born in India and Hungary have flown in space before 鈥 including NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who died aboard in 2003, and two-time space tourist Charles Simonyi, of Microsoft fame 鈥 they were U.S. citizens at the time of launch.
Shukla said before the flight that he hopes 鈥渢o ignite the curiosity of an entire generation in my country鈥 and drive innovation. Like his crewmates, he plans several outreach events with those back home.
鈥淚 truly believe that even though I, as an individual, am traveling to space, this is the journey of 1.4 billion people,鈥 he said.
It was Axiom鈥檚 fourth chartered flight to the space station since 2022 and Whitson鈥檚 second time flying as an Axiom crew commander and chaperone. The trip caused her to miss her induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame late last month, since she was in quarantine before the flight. Whitson joined Axiom after retiring from NASA nearly a decade ago and has logged almost two years in orbit over her career.
Once opposed to nontraditional station guests, NASA now throws out the welcome mat, charging for their food and upkeep while insisting that an experienced astronaut accompany them.
It鈥檚 all part of NASA鈥檚 push to open space 鈥 moon included 鈥 to private businesses. Axiom is among several U.S. companies planning to launch their own space stations in the next few years. The goal is for them to be up and running before the international station comes down in 2031 after more than three decades of operation.
Access to space 鈥渋s not only for the biggest agencies anymore 鈥 space is for everyone,鈥 Poland鈥檚 Uznanski-Wisniewski said ahead of liftoff.
Hungarians want to 鈥渟it at the same table with the giants,鈥 said Kapu. Through this mission, 鈥淗ungary gets one step closer to the stars.鈥
They should have flown earlier this year, but their mission was delayed following a switch in SpaceX capsules. The change enabled NASA鈥檚 two stuck astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return to Earth in March sooner than planned.
The Axiom astronauts faced more launch delays once arriving in Florida. SpaceX had to fix an oxygen leak in its rocket, then NASA put the crew鈥檚 visit on indefinite hold while monitoring repairs to longtime air leaks on the Russian side of the space station.
SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk鈥檚 Falcon rockets launching from Florida and California are considerably smaller than the Starships making test flights out of Texas and, this year, exploding one after the other. Reliable frequent flyers, Falcons have been carrying crews to orbit since 2020.
NASA needs Starship for the moon, while Musk envisions it for Mars travel.
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