“I'm moving to Houston this weekend. On Monday I'm starting training at Axiom Space, then at SpaceX and NASA,” wrote Sławosz Uznański on social media, who is likely to be the second Pole in space. So far, the only person with a Polish passport in space was Mirosław Hermaszewski.
Sławosz Uznański is already in the USA and is training for a space flight
On August 5, the Polish astronaut will begin the practical part of training in preparation for the Polish mission to the International Space Station ISS. The mission is planned for 2025. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will carry the Dragon crew capsule into orbit, will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts will spend about 14 days on the International Space Station.
Polish astronaut has an important task in space
In addition to the Pole, the AX-4 mission crew will include representatives from Hungary and India. Sławosz Uznański is flying into space as a so-called mission specialist. His task will be to conduct scientific experiments and test Polish technologies on the International Space Station ISS. The mission program will primarily focus on experiments developed by representatives of the Polish space sector, under the direction of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Importantly, the crew members must still receive approval from the international committee responsible for the International Space Station (ISS) – the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP). It is composed of representatives of all five international ISS partners: NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency.