Expedition 73 & Axiom Space Ax-4 Crews | International Space Station

Expedition 73 & Axiom Space Ax-4 Crews | International Space Station

Back Row (left to right): Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Kirill Peskov, and Alexey Zubritsky of Russia, NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Jonny Kim

Front Row (left to right): Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Astronaut and Ax-4 Pilot Shubhandshu Shukla, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Axiom Space Ax-4 Commander & Commercial Astronaut Peggy Whitson (USA) and European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut & Ax-4 Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland

Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Anne McClain: "Did you know that one of NASA’s missions is to enable commercial spaceflight in low Earth orbit? One of the really cool ways we get to do that on International Space Station is to host Private Astronaut Missions, or PAMs."

"This week, we bid farewell to the Ax-4 crew after their two week stay living and working alongside the Expedition 73 crew. Each individual on their crew represented a different country (USA, Hungary, India, and Poland), and a difference space agency or mission (Axiom Space, European Space Agency, Indian Space Research Organisation, and HUNOR Program). The mission was a great accomplishment for each and a testament to the professionalism and excellence of agencies and individuals around the world."

"For us personally, it was a total blast. This picture will always remind me of one of my favorite space seasons, with great work done and big belly laughs on a daily basis. I hope our friendships and cooperation will pave the way for more future collaboration and exploration."

"If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together!"

After 18 days in space, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Ax-4 astronauts Peggy Whitson (USA), Shubhandshu Shukla (India/ISRO), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland/ESA), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) returned to Earth and splashed down off the coast of California at 2:31 a.m. PT on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Falcon 9 launched the spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, June 25 at 2:31 a.m. ET.

The private astronauts spent over two weeks aboard the International Space Station, conducting a mission of science, outreach, and commercial activities.

Learn more about Ax-4: 
https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Follow Expedition 73:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Image Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center 
Release Date: July 18, 2025

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