Recently, astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary will board a U.S. commercial spaceplane, embarking on a journey to the International Space Station. This marks the first time in decades that individuals from these three nations have been sent into space, signifying a major step forward in international space cooperation.

The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is scheduled to launch at 2:31a.m. on Wednesday (6:31 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This mission will utilize a brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft mounted atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The vehicle is expected to dock with the orbital laboratory around 11:00 a.m. GMT on Thursday and remain there for up to 14 days.

The spacecraft's crew is a formidable lineup, including Indian pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Polish mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, Hungarian mission specialist Tibor Kapu, and U.S. commander Peggy Whitson. Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, now works for Axiom Space, the company organizing private spaceflights.

For India, Poland, and Hungary, this mission holds special significance. The last time these nations sent humans to space, their current astronauts had not yet been born. Shukla stated at a press conference that he is carrying not only instruments and equipment but also the hopes and dreams of a billion hearts. He will become the first Indian in space since 1984, a milestone viewed by the Indian Space Research Organisation as a key step toward its first crewed mission, Gaganyaan.

During their time on the International Space Station, Shukla will hold discussions with a prominent Indian dignitary, seen as a soft power demonstration to inspire national pride. This mission also marks the debut of the fifth and final crewed Dragon spacecraft, which will be named after reaching orbit, joining the active fleet.

The mission takes place following a recent online spat between the U.S. president and Elon Musk. Despite the brief tension, analysts believe that NASA's and the Pentagon's reliance on Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets makes a serious rift between SpaceX and the U.S. government unlikely.