An international crew of four is set to launch on a private mission to the International Space Station on June 8.
The mission comes at a time when the spotlight is on private space flights, as Nasa faces proposed budget cuts that could reduce the agency’s presence in low-Earth orbit.
Organised by Axiom Space, the mission, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), will lift off from a spaceport in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule.
On-board will be veteran Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson, along with three citizens from India, Poland and Hungary, the first time these countries will be represented aboard the ISS.
“We are already seeing an increasing role of short-duration private space missions in low Earth orbit,” said Dr Gordon Osinski, a sciences professor and planetary geologist at Western University in Ontario, Canada.
“With questions surrounding the US commitment to the ISS, I do think that private space companies could play an important role if Nasa is forced to scale back its operations there.”
He said the Ax-4 mission demonstrates how commercial access is making space more inclusive, with the ISS evolving beyond the original partner nations – the US, Russia, Japan and the European and Canadian space agencies.
Nasa scales back
The launch comes just weeks after the White House proposed a 24 per cent cut to Nasa’s exploration budget for 2026. The agency was reportedly also already facing a $1 billion budget shortfall for the station through 2029.
A smaller budget would mean a reduced number of astronauts Nasa sends to the ISS and cargo resupply missions are also expected to be scaled down.
Sarath Raj, project director of the Satellite Ground Station at Dubai's Amity University, said that private companies are “opening up access to space in incredible ways”.
“With the White House proposing budget cuts for Nasa's crew and cargo missions, this whole private sector surge becomes even more significant,” he said.
“It effectively pushes Nasa to lean even harder on these commercial partners. We might see fewer direct Nasa flights to the ISS and a faster transition to commercial alternatives for things like lunar transport, potentially phasing out some of the traditional, more expensive government hardware.
“It's all about Nasa becoming more of a customer for these services, which is a major shift.”
Expanding access to orbit
Axiom Space has flown three crewed missions to the ISS so far by purchasing flights from SpaceX.
SpaceX has also carried out five fully private orbital missions, including the Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn flights, and continues to operate under Nasa contracts.
Each of the three international astronauts on Ax-4, captain Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Sławosz Uznanski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, are flying under government arrangements with Axiom.
"Regardless of potential Nasa budget cuts, there are also positive reasons for private space missions to the ISS," said Dr Osinski.
"The example of the Axiom 4 mission is a great one as it will mark the first time that astronauts from Poland, India, and Hungary will visit the ISS, making it even more international and not just limiting to the original member countries," said Dr Osinski.
Commercial space stations
Beyond transport services, private companies are also building the infrastructure for future space stations, as the ISS nears retirement and Nasa and other space agency shift their focus on missions to the Moon and Mars.
Axiom is developing modules that will be attached to the ISS and eventually operate as a stand-alone station.
Nasa has supported the project with a $140 million contract, as part of its strategy to transition low-Earth orbit operations to commercial providers by the end of the decade.
“Companies like Axiom are stepping up to ensure a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit,” Mr Raj said. “That’s essential not just for research, but also for industry, tourism and future exploration.”
