• SpaceX successfully launches the Axiom-2 mission for a private flight toward the International Space Station (ISS)
• The mission includes former astronaut Peggy Whitson and three paying customers
• The crew launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket with a Crew Dragon capsule

SpaceX's Axiom-2 mission, spearheaded by the company's Falcon 9 rocket, successfully launched to bring a former NASA astronaut and three paying customers to the International Space Station (ISS).

The launch on May 21 marked only the second all-private mission to the ISS contracted with NASA. The former astronaut included in the launch is Peggy Whitson, the Axiom Space director of human spaceflight. She will be the one commanding the mission and is joined by one private spaceflight participant and two government-backed astronauts.

SpaceX Launches Axiom-2 Mission to ISS

The mission pilot is John Shoffner, and the two others are mission specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi. As per Florida Today, the latter two became the second and third Saudi citizens to fly into space and will become the first to visit the ISS.

At around 5:15 p.m. on Sunday, SpaceX was well in fueling the Falcon 9 rocket that would be used in the launch. No further information was revealed regarding a small leak found earlier in the mission.

The company also had some weather issues, as an anvil cloud was observed near the launch area. It can produce lightning if a rocket launches through it, which could cause concern.

But at 5:37 p.m. local time, the mission launched as the Falcon 9 rocket took off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. A few minutes later, the rocket's first stage booster separated from the upper stage and Dragon capsule. This has caused the Dragon Freedom crew capsule to be in orbit and is on its way to the ISS.

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The Future of Private Spaceflight

The crew is estimated to spend the next 16 hours inside the Crew Dragon capsule heading toward the ISS. According to CNN, it would maneuver itself to descend with the station, and it is expected to dock at roughly 9:24 a.m. on Monday.

The Axiom-2 mission is a series of missions that Axiom Space and NASA plan to conduct to urge private sector participation in spaceflight. These specifically target low-Earth orbit, which is where the ISS is located.

At 63 years old, Whitson has become the first woman in history to command a private spaceflight. On the other hand, Shoffner is known for making his fortune in the international telecom business and being the founder of Dura-Line Corp.

The chief of mission integration and operations at Axiom Space, Derek Hassmann, said during a May 15 briefing that they prioritized research activities planned for the mission in response to the delay in the mission. However, he noted that some were dropped over some lower priority outreach and other activities, said Space News.

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