SpaceX will send Axiom astronauts from India, Poland, and four other countries to the space station

Gate News bot news, according to Bloomberg, Texas-based company Axiom Space Inc. will send astronauts from four countries to the International Space Station, showcasing the company’s cooperation with various countries and expanding the ambition of global space exploration.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida around 2:31 local time on Wednesday.

This mission is Axiom’s fourth time sending astronauts into low Earth orbit, and the first time for Indian, Polish, and Hungarian astronauts to go to the International Space Station.

Due to adverse weather near the launch site and issues such as leaks on the International Space Station, NASA, Axiom, and SpaceX have delayed the launch multiple times.

American astronaut Peggy Whitson retired from NASA in 2018 and is now the head of the Axiom manned space project. On Wednesday, she will command her fifth mission to the International Space Station. Other crew members include Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Polish mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungarian mission specialist Tibor Kapu.

The launch comes as the Axiom project announces a memorandum of understanding with the Indian rocket startup Skyroot Aerospace to explore their capabilities in providing launch and freight services. Axiom CEO Tejpaul Bhatia told Bloomberg that the new partnership is expected to enhance their engineering capabilities as the company begins to build a private space station.

Bhatia said, “As the market and capabilities grow, we are choosing the best partners to meet all our needs.”