WATCH: The Ax-2 mission launches four private astronauts from Cape Canaveral
SpaceX will livestream the launch of the Axiom SpaceX-2 in the player above. Watch special coverage live starting at 5:30 pm: 7:04 am – SpaceX tweets that all systems and weather are favorable for launch. 9:37 am – The Axiom space crew wakes up. 1:07 PM – Dragon propellant pressurization underway. 1:10 pm – Crew arrives at Kennedy Space Center. 5pm – Confirmed thruster loading. A SpaceX Crew Dragon atop a Falcon 9 is ready and lifted off from Kennedy Space Center today ahead of the Ax-2 mission to launch pad 39A. Launch time is set for 5:37 pm, making it the second private crewed mission for Axiom Space. RELATED: Best places to watch historic, crewed Ax-2 launches “It’s building the capability that the nation, and indeed humanity, has to have on a broad scale. The capability line in space. It’s part of the process of moving away from the International Space Station,” said Space Florida’s Dale Ketcham. The four-person crew will be led by mission commander and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. Three other crew members are paying for the 12-day mission: two Saudi astronauts, including the first woman from the kingdom to fly into space, and an experienced American Ax-2 pilot. There will also be crew. Responsible for 20 scientific experiments such as stem cell research to study how and why they multiply so rapidly in microgravity. Release day preview: RELATED: Brevard County businesses prepare for huge crowds to see Axiom Space Ax-2 mission “Then we can use this technology, maybe create these stem cells in space, use microgravity to differentiate them. And then use stem cells in cell therapy here on Earth,” said Dr. Ryan Reeves of the ISS National Laboratory. And important science is waiting to go up. “Using this private spaceflight is another way we can get more. There are many more tests. Because what we’ve seen over time is that these things build on each other,” Reeves said. For Axiom, private spaceflight builds experience for their teams working with NASA and SpaceX, but it also leads to building blocks for what will eventually be. The first commercial space station.WESH 2 will begin special coverage of the Axiom 2 mission at 5:30 p.m. Top Headlines: Tropical Disturbance Forms in Atlantic, Marking ‘First Part of Choice’ This Season Florida Couple Says They Overpaid Using Duke Energy’s Standard Billing Missing barber shop owner found dead inside submerged car in Kissimmee, deputies say
SpaceX will livestream the launch of the Axiom SpaceX-2 in the player above. Watch special coverage live starting at 5:30 p.m
Live Notifications:
- 7:04 am – All systems and weather are favorable for launching, SpaceX tweeted.
- 9:37 am – The Axiom Space crew woke up.
- 1:07 pm – Dragon propellant pressurization underway.
- 1:10 p.m – The crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center.
- 5 pm – Propellant loading confirmed.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon is ready atop the Falcon 9 ahead of today’s Ax-2 mission from Kennedy Space Center. Release time is set at 5:37 PM
This is the second all-private crew mission for Axiom Space.
Related: Best Places to Watch the Historic Ax-2 Launch
“It’s building the nation’s capability, and really humanity’s ability to have a broad range of capabilities in space. It’s part of the process of moving away from the International Space Station,” said Dale Ketchum of Space Florida.
The four-person crew will be led by mission commander and accomplished former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. Three other crew members are also paying for the 12-day mission: two Saudi astronauts, including the kingdom’s first woman to fly into space, and the Ax-2 pilot, an experienced American aviator.
The team will also be responsible for 20 scientific experiments, such as stem cell research to study how and why they multiply so rapidly in microgravity.
Release Date Prediction:
Related: Brevard County businesses prepare for huge crowds to witness Axiom Space Ax-2 mission
“Then we can use this technology, create these stem cells in space, use microgravity to differentiate them. And then use the stem cells in cell therapy on Earth,” said Dr. Ryan Reeves of the ISS National Laboratory.
And important science is waiting to go up.
“Using this private spaceflight is another avenue through which we can get more and more experiments in because what we’ve seen over time is that these things build on each other,” Reeves said.
For Axiom, private space missions build experience for their teams working with NASA and SpaceX, but it also leads to the building blocks of what will eventually be the first commercial space station.
WESH 2 will begin special coverage of the Axiom 2 mission at 5:30 p.m.
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