Axiom Space Ax-2 Falcon 9 Launch to International Space Station | SpaceX

Axiom Space Ax-2 Falcon 9 Launch to International Space Station | SpaceX

First Falcon 9 LZ-1 first-stage landing for a human spaceflight mission

First Falcon 9 LZ-1 first-stage landing for a human spaceflight mission

First Falcon 9 first-stage LZ-1 landing for a human spaceflight mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft for Axiom Space’s Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on May 21 2023, at 5:37 ET.  The Ax-2 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), Pilot John Shoffner (USA) and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni (Saudi Arabia) and Rayyanah Barnawi (Saudi Arabia). The “Freedom” Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the International Space Station on May 22, 2023, at 9:24 EDT. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage (B1080) landed on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral. The “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft previously flew the SpaceX Crew-4 mission.

Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission is the second all-private human spaceflight mission to the International Space Station. The Ax-2 crew will participate in educational outreach and conduct innovative research experiments while on the orbiting laboratory.

Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)

Release Date: May 21, 2023

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