Ax-4 is carrying the first ever-people from India, Hungary and Poland to launch on a mission to the orbiting lab.

Joining Whitson are first-time fliers Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The mission brings a return to human spaceflight for these three countries, as in over 40 years the countries have not seen a government-sponsored astronaut.

A privately funded mission to the ISS launched on Wednesday night. On board are Peggy Whitson, the USA's most experienced female astronaut – and, for the first time, crew members from India, Poland, and Hungary.