On 25 June 2025, Polish engineer and ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański‑Wiśniewski lifted off aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Crew Dragon “Grace,” as part of Axiom Space’s Ax‑4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), marking Poland’s second crewed space mission since 1978.

Axiom Mission Overview

The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) was organized by Axiom Space in partnership with NASA and SpaceX. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The crew traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) in the Crew Dragon capsule Grace, making Ax-4 Axiom’s fourth mission to the ISS – and the first to include astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary.

Commanding the mission is NASA veteran Peggy Whitson, one of the most experienced astronauts in history, with over 665 days in space. She is joined by mission specialists Shubhanshu Shukla (India), Tibor Kapu (Hungary), and Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland). The crew completed the journey to the ISS in just under 30 hours, successfully docking with the station on June 26. Now, the crew is spending 14 days aboard the International Space Station, conducting an intensive program of scientific experiments.

Ambitious Research Agenda

With over 60 planned experiments, Ax-4 carries the largest research payload of any Axiom mission to date. The science covers areas such as medicine, neuroscience, new materials, AI, and biotechnology. For Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, this mission is both historic and deeply scientific – he is the first Pole aboard the ISS and is leading 13 Polish-led research projects, including studies on mental health, brain-computer interfaces, and advanced materials in microgravity:

• AstroMentalHealth: investigating isolation and mental resilience in microgravity.
• EEG Neurofeedback: using brain-computer interface techniques to support mental focus and stress relief.
• Human Gut Microbiota, Immune Multiomics, PhotonGrav, MXene in LEO, among others – addressing health, materials, AI processing, and radiation exposure in space.

TVP World highlights his work on mental health and brain-tech experiments, underscoring how these projects may benefit future astronauts and people on Earth.

Educational & Professional Background

Sławosz’s scientific focus is no coincidence. He obtained his M.Sc. in Electronics and Telecommunications with honors from Łódź University of Technology (2008), and a Diplôme d’Ingénieur and M.Sc. from the University of Nantes, France, the same year. He earned a Ph.D. in 2011 from Aix-Marseille University, specializing in radiation-hardened electronics for space use.

After academia, he joined CERN and from 2018 to 2020 served as Engineer in Charge for the Large Hadron Collider. In 2022, he was selected from over 22,500 applicants into ESA’s Astronaut Reserve. Poland, in collaboration with ESA and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), secured a seat for a national astronaut on Ax‑4 in 2023, following formal agreements signed that summer.

Reflecting on his journey, Sławosz said: “I prepared for this competition for 13 years… I waited for the program to reopen since 2008.” He added that his multidisciplinary background and resilience, “I sail, climb glaciers, and trek through the Himalayas”, helped him stand out.

A New Era of Polish Space Exploration and Innovation

As the first Pole aboard the ISS, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski’s mission marks a historic step forward for Poland’s space ambitions. His presence on Ax-4 not only highlights the nation’s growing role in international space cooperation but also showcases Polish scientific and technological innovation on a global stage.

From advanced biomedical studies to AI-powered electronics and cutting-edge materials, the research he conducts reflects the strength of Polish engineering, academic excellence, and space technologies.

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Read more: www.reuters.com