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ESA project astronaut S\u0142awosz Uzna\u0144ski-Wi\u015bniewski has officially begun his first space mission, entering the International Space Station on 26 June 2025. He is pictured here among the now 11-member crew on board the Station, representing six different countries, shortly after the arrival of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).<\/p>\n
Floating in microgravity and surrounded by fellow astronauts from around the world, S\u0142awosz marks a milestone not only in his own career but also in Poland\u2019s growing presence in human spaceflight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He arrived aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft Grace<\/i>, launched on 25 June at 07:31 BST (08:31 CEST) from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. After approximately 28 hours orbiting Earth, the spacecraft docked with the Station, where S\u0142awosz and his Ax-4 crewmates \u2014 Peggy Whitson (USA), Shubhanshu Shukla (India) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) \u2014 were warmly welcomed by the Expedition 73 resident crew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the welcome ceremony, S\u0142awosz was officially recognised as the 635th human to orbit Earth, receiving an astronaut pin from Commander Peggy Whitson. With his first microgravity steps aboard the Station, he became the second ESA project astronaut to reach orbit as part of a commercial spaceflight mission.<\/p>\n
The ESA part of the mission, Ignis<\/i> \u2014 named after the Latin word for \u201cfire\u201d \u2014 reflects the passion and ambition behind Poland\u2019s first government-sponsored human spaceflight. Over the next two weeks, S\u0142awosz will carry out 13 experiments proposed by Polish institutions in collaboration with ESA, along with three additional ESA-led investigations. These studies span human physiology, biotechnology, materials science and space technology, all aimed at advancing our understanding of life in space and delivering benefits back on Earth.<\/p>\n
Now aboard the Space Station, S\u0142awosz is settling into his new environment. His sleeping quarters are in the Columbus module, Europe\u2019s laboratory in space. Alongside his Ax-4 crewmates, he is adjusting to microgravity with the help of the Expedition 73 crew and preparing for a packed schedule of research and outreach.<\/p>\n
The start of Ignis marks a proud moment for Poland and a significant step forward in Europe\u2019s role in commercial and scientific space exploration.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n