Thu Jun 26 13:32:28 UTC 2025: **Headline: ‘Joy’ the Swan Soars into Space: Axiom-4 Mission Carries Symbol of Unity**

**New Delhi, June 26, 2025 (The Hindu)** – A soft toy swan named “Joy” has become an unlikely ambassador for international cooperation aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, currently en route to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission. The toy serves as a zero-gravity indicator, a tradition that began with Yuri Gagarin, and was selected due to Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s son’s fondness for animals.

Video from the spacecraft showed Joy floating weightlessly as the crew interacted with mission control. The swan’s presence symbolizes the collaborative spirit of the Axiom-4 mission, uniting the efforts of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Hungarian to Orbit program (HUNOR).

“Joy is floating all over the capsule, sometimes we have to find him/ her here with us,” remarked Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski.

Group Captain Shukla highlighted the swan’s significance as a symbol of wisdom and discernment. According to Axiom Space, the swan embodies the shared aspirations of the participating nations. In India, it represents wisdom and purity, while in Poland, it stands for purity, loyalty, and resilience. In Hungary, the swan epitomizes loyalty, grace, and the beauty of nature.

By choosing a swan, the Ax-4 crew celebrates the diversity of their cultures, united in the shared human experience of space exploration, Axiom Space said.

The Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station, and the crew will be conducting a variety of experiments during their time in orbit.

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