In this photo shared by NASA, a SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts connects with the International Space Station on Thursday, June 26, 2025. The crew includes the first astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to visit space in over 40 years. NASA/AP
Three astronauts made history on Thursday by becoming the first from their countries to reach the International Space Station (ISS). This special journey was arranged through a private spaceflight by a company based in Houston. They were launched by SpaceX from Florida on Wednesday.
These astronauts are the first in over 40 years to represent India, Poland, and Hungary in space. The last time people from these nations traveled beyond Earth was back in the 1970s and 1980s, during missions with the Soviet Union.
A Multinational Team Heads to Space
The crew of four will stay on the ISS for two weeks. They plan to carry out several science experiments during their stay.
Leading the group is Peggy Whitson, a veteran American astronaut with the most time in space among all U.S. astronauts. She now works with the private space company that organized this mission.
The rest of the crew includes:
- Shubhanshu Shukla from India, a pilot in the Indian Air Force
- Tibor Kapu from Hungary, a mechanical engineer
- Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, a radiation scientist working with Europe’s space agency
Warm Welcome on the Space Station
As soon as the new astronauts arrived, they were greeted with hugs and handshakes by the seven crew members already living on the ISS. The group celebrated by sipping drinks from floating pouches using straws. People from six different nations now share the station — the U.S., Russia, Japan, India, Poland, and Hungary.
Hungary’s Tibor Kapu said he was amazed by how many countries were now working together in space. He also noted that seven out of the eleven astronauts aboard are in space for the first time — a sign of space travel becoming more open.
Poland’s Uznanski-Wisniewski said the team will do their best to make their countries proud. India’s Shukla described his journey so far as “fantastic” and “wonderful.”
Delays and Quarantine Before Liftoff
The astronauts had been in quarantine since May 25 to ensure they were healthy for space travel. Their liftoff faced several delays, including one caused by a leak on the Russian side of the ISS. NASA wanted to be sure the station was safe before allowing the flight to continue.
Private Space Missions on the Rise
This was the fourth flight to the ISS arranged by the Houston-based company since 2022. As NASA prepares to retire the current space station by 2030, private companies are planning to launch their own stations. NASA supports these efforts as a way to continue human space activity after the ISS ends its long mission.
