Poland among the stars!
June 25, 2025 marked a historic milestone for Polish space exploration. At 2:31 a.m. EDT (8:31 a.m. CEST), the AXIOM-4 mission launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (Launch Complex 39A) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. On board the Crew Dragon „Grace” spacecraft was Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, who became the second Polish astronaut in history and the first to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly fifty years.
Dr. Uznański-Wiśniewski was selected from a pool of over 22,000 applicants, and is flying as a mission specialist for the ESA-backed IGNIS mission—the first mission under a Polish flag with scientific and educational objectives aboard the ISS. His participation marks a major advancement in Poland’s international scientific presence in space.
To discuss the broader impact of this mission, Dr. Natalia Zalewska, planetary geologist and senior researcher at MIRORES Mining Data Services and the Polish Academy of Sciences, appeared on the TVP3 program Gość Regionów. She was joined by Mariusz Słonina, an expert in space safety and policy. The interview explored the mission’s national and international significance, including the future of Polish involvement in space, scientific collaboration through ESA, and the expanding role of private spaceflight.
„This mission is not only a great leap for Polish science, but also a symbol of the growing capabilities and ambitions of our space sector,” said Dr. Zalewska during the broadcast.
The AXIOM-4 mission is part of a broader shift toward commercial and international collaboration in space exploration, with Poland now taking an active role through research, innovation, and human presence beyond Earth.
📺 Watch the full interview on TVP (aired June 25, 2025):
Gość Regionów – Dr. Natalia Zalewska & Mariusz Słonina on the Polish Astronaut’s Launch
