Manned Axiom Space Mission 4 Launch Set for Early Morning Wednesday at 2:31 a.m

watch coverage on Space Coast Daily TV

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — After multiple reschedules, SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, June 25, for Falcon 9’s launch of Axiom Space’s Axiom Mission 4, to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Launch is targeted for 2:31 a.m., with a backup opportunity available on Thursday, June 26, at 2:09 a.m.

You can watch coverage of this launch on Space Coast Daily TV HERE.

This is the first flight for the Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission. This will be the second flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched a Starlink mission. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The private mission will carry the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station. Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while Indian Space Research Organization astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot.

The two mission specialists are European Space Agency project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct more than 60 scientific experiments and demonstrations focused on human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences.

NASA’s mission responsibility is for integrated operations, which begins during the spacecraft’s approach to the space station, continues during the crew’s approximately two-week stay aboard the orbiting laboratory while conducting science, education, and commercial activities, and concludes once the spacecraft exits the station.

As part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station. The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations.

 

Similar Stories