He said he hopes to show that space is open to everyone.
Uznański-Wiśniewski noted that Poland was one of the earliest nations to send a citizen to space.
“We were the fourth country in space," he said. "As a child growing up in the 1980s, I could only dream of becoming an astronaut. Now, that childhood dream is coming true."
Uznański-Wiśniewski recalled that his mother would always wish him "Happy Cosmonautics Day" on his birthday, April 12, the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering 1961 spaceflight.
He added that his mission represents not just Poland but an entire generation of Polish scientists, teachers and students contributing to scientific progress at both local and global levels.
“We want to show that space is not just for the biggest players—it is for everyone,” he said.
The crew who will travel to the ISS in the spring includes also Peggy Whitson, the commander of Axiom-4 and a veteran American astronaut; mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India; and mission specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Whitson noted that it has been over 40 years since astronauts from Poland, Hungary and India first went to space.
"Commercial spaceflights are accelerating space programs in all three of these countries and paving new paths for technological advancement,” she said.
Whitson added that the international crew aims to inspire a new generation, with two weeks on the ISS dedicated to scientific and technological programs led by each country’s government.
The Axiom-4 crew has been training together since August last year, familiarizing themselves with the ISS systems and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that will take them to orbit.
They have also undergone emergency preparedness drills.
"One of my key goals is turning this diverse group into a high-performance team, and I can assure you we are well on our way," Whitson said.
She also revealed that Uznański-Wiśniewski’s first name posed a challenge for the international crew. "Sławosz was difficult for us to pronounce, so we started calling him Slav," she said.
Uznański-Wiśniewski spoke about his deep connection to past Polish space missions, especially to Mirosław Hermaszewski, the first Pole in space, who died in 2022.
"He supported me a lot during the selection process," Uznański-Wiśniewski said. "He was the first person to call and congratulate me when I was chosen. I feel a strong bond with him and his mission."
In tribute, he will take into space the flag that Hermaszewski wore on his spacesuit during his 1978 mission.
"It’s a great honor for me to continue Poland’s presence in spaceflight, and I hope I won’t be the last for many decades to come," Uznański-Wiśniewski added.
He also announced that he will bring pierogi, Poland’s iconic dumplings, to the ISS.
"I have experience from mountaineering, where food brings psychological comfort," Uznański-Wiśniewski told the press conference. "When I started at Axiom, I learned that I could participate in developing the food we take to space. I teamed up with a small Polish family-owned business, and for the first time ever, we will bring Polish pierogi to space," he added.
He worked with the producers to develop a freeze-drying method to preserve the pierogi: "We worked on this for weeks, and the company mastered the process. I hope they will taste just as good in space as they do on Earth."
According to Polish Space Agency spokeswoman Agnieszka Gapys, the Axiom-4 crew will visit Warsaw on February 5.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP