SpaceX readies private launch of four astronauts to International Space Station
Share this @internewscast.com

Four crew members are set to launch Wednesday on a privately funded mission to the International Space Station.

The journey, arranged by the Houston-based firm Axiom Space, is set to commence at 8 a.m. ET from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The team of four will travel to orbit inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA will broadcast live coverage of the launch beginning at 7:05 a.m. ET on NASA+.

Initially planned for Tuesday, the launch faced a one-day postponement due to strong winds along the Florida coast. This mission, identified as Ax-4, is projected to spend approximately two weeks at the International Space Station.

Leading the mission is former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who holds a record 675 days in space, the most by any American astronaut. She will be joined by pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from the Indian Space Research Organization; mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a Polish scientist with the European Space Agency; and mission specialist Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer hailing from Hungary.

From left, Ax-4 crew members Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Indian Space Research Organization astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, and European Space Agency astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland.
From left, Ax-4 crew members Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Indian Space Research Organization astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, and European Space Agency astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland.SpaceX

Shukla, Uznański-Wiśniewski and Kapu will make history by becoming the first people from their countries to live and work on the International Space Station.

During their two-week stay at the orbiting lab, the Ax-4 crew members will conduct a host of scientific experiments, according to NASA, including studies of muscle regeneration, how sprouts and edible microalgae grow in microgravity and how tiny aquatic organisms survive at the ISS.

If the launch goes according to plan, the four astronauts will dock at the space station on Thursday at around 12:30 p.m. ET.

The upcoming flight will be Axiom Space’s fourth crewed mission to the International Space Station. The company’s first private expedition to the ISS was in 2022 with an all-civilian crew.

The price tag for the Ax-4 mission has not been publicly disclosed, but space tourists reportedly paid around $55 million per seat on previous Axiom Space expeditions.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Oklahoma Education to Prioritize Truthful Teaching: Superintendent

Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction is ensuring the state’s school curriculum aligns…

Texas Representative Prioritizes Flood Response After Staying Overnight at Capitol

Democratic state Representative Nicole Collier has spent the past two nights sleeping…

Mystery of Missing Infant: Authorities Seize Vehicle Linked to Emmanuel Haro’s Father

As the probe into the disappearance of 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro progresses, investigators…

Tragic Incident: Student Fatally Stabbed at Phoenix High School

() A high school student is dead in Arizona, and another is…

Bystanders Aid in Saving Mother and Her Baby After Car Plunges into Marina

MENASHA, Wis. (WFRV) – On Tuesday night, bystanders assisted in rescuing the…

Savannah Police Detain Suspect, Sparking Allegations of Excessive Force

Editor’s note: Details of the story may be disturbing to some readers.…

Trump issues executive order targeting flag burning

President Trump intends to sign an executive order on Thursday aiming to…

Cuomo and O’Reilly Discuss if Race Influences DC Law Enforcement Tactics

() Chris Cuomo and Bill O’Reilly disagree on whether race is a…

Newsom’s Imitation of Trump Garners Praise from Democrats

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has figured out the best way to get under…

Two Brothers Who Went Missing Discovered Deceased in Lake Erie

() The bodies of two brothers who went missing in Lake Erie…

Man Charged with Killing Family Members and Shooting Officers During Manhunt: Prosecutor

A man in East Cleveland, Ohio, has been charged with the alleged…

Decrease in Violent Crime Following St. Louis Police Crackdown, Report Finds

() Crime is on the decline in St. Louis, according to the…