Astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary begin space station mission
Axiom-4 Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India reacts as he greets his family members before their mission to the International Space Station, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 24. © Reuters
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) -- NASA retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson was launched on the fifth spaceflight of her career early on Wednesday, joined by crewmates from India, Poland and Hungary heading for their countries' first visit to the International Space Station.
The team lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at about 2:30 a.m. local time, beginning the latest mission organized by Texas-based startup Axiom Space in partnership with Elon Musk's rocket venture SpaceX.
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