Watch live: Ignis launches into space

The mission will launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. The crew will travel to the Space Station aboard a  Dragon spacecraft, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket.  

During the journey to the International Space Station, Sławosz will serve as a mission specialist. He will be joined by commander Peggy Whitson (USA), pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India) and fellow mission specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungary). 

Ax-4 marks the second commercial human spaceflight mission for an ESA project astronaut. Sponsored by the Polish government and supported by ESA, the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MRiT) and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), the mission features an ambitious programme of technological and scientific research.  

During the Ignis mission, Sławosz will conduct 13 experiments proposed by Polish companies and institutions and developed in collaboration with ESA, along with three additional ESA-led experiments. These cover a broad range of areas including human research, materials science, biology, biotechnology and technology demonstration. 

Sławosz and his crewmates are expected to reach the International Space Station approximately 36 hours after launch.

Live coverage will begin two hours before docking. You can also watch the crew entering the station and the welcome ceremony live on ESA’s YouTube channel.  

The Ignis mission will officially begin as soon as Sławosz goes through the hatch.  

Launch and docking timeline