A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are set to launch Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch is scheduled for Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mission, organized by Axiom Space, will send four crew members into orbit. The crew will travel in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
The Ax-4 mission is expected to last about two weeks at the ISS. The launch was delayed by a day due to high winds along the Florida coast.
The mission will be led by retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has spent a record 675 days in space. Joining her are pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and mission specialist Tibor Kapu.
Shukla, Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Kapu will make history as the first people from their respective countries to live and work on the ISS. During their stay, the crew will conduct scientific experiments. These experiments include studies on muscle regeneration, plant growth in microgravity, and the survival of aquatic organisms in space.
If the launch proceeds as planned, the astronauts will dock at the space station on Thursday. This will be Axiom Space's fourth crewed mission to the ISS. The cost of the Ax-4 mission hasn't been disclosed, but previous Axiom Space expeditions cost around $55 million per seat.