The all-Ham Ax-4 crew is en route to the International Space Station following a 2:31 am eastern time launch today (June 25) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Ax-4 Launch
Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX expects to dock the Dragon module—which Ax-4 Mission Commander Peggy Whitson (KC5ZTD) has named “Grace”—with the ISS at 7 am eastern time on June 26 for the two-week mission. Each of the three first-time astronauts—Shubhanshu Shukla (VU2TNI), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (SQ7AS) and Tibor Kapu (HA5TRO)—are expected to have two 10-minute ham radio contacts with communities in their home countries during their stay on the ISS.
Ax-4 crew in orbit
Credit: SpaceX
ARISS has been a partner for all four Axiom Space flights to the ISS, dating back to the Ax-1 in 2022, and three of the four missions to date have featured all-ham crews. Our participation in Ax-4 aligns with our broader goal of using amateur radio to connect youth, educators, and members of the public with the International Space Station. Find out more at our website www.ariss.org.