Axiom-4 commercial mission launches for ISS after delays
June 24 (UPI) -- Following numerous delays and scrubbed liftoffs, NASA, SpaceX and Axiom Space successfully launched their Axiom-4 mission early Wednesday, sending four astronauts in what is the fourth private commercial mission to the International Space Station.
The Falcon 9 rocket launched at 2:31 a.m. EDT on Wednesday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As the countdown hit zero and the spacecraft began its ascent from Earth, cheers erupted from mission control during the live broadcast.
"Liftoff of Ax-4!" SpaceX celebrated on X, posting a 30-second clip of the liftoff.
Following confirmation of nominal orbit insertion, which occurred about 10 minutes after launch, the commander of the mission, American Peggy Whitson, said they were heading for the ISS.
"We had an incredible ride uphill and now we'd like to set our course for the International Space Station, aboard the newest member of the Dragon suite, our spacecraft named Grace," Whitson said.
"Grace is more than a name, it reflects the elegance with which we move through space against the backdrop of Earth ... Grace reminds us that spaceflight is not just a feat of engineering but an act of goodwill, for the benefit of every human, everywhere."
The first-stage booster, on its second flight, also returned to Earth and successfully landed on Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral, about eight minutes into the flight.
Grace and its four-member crew -- Whitson, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and mission specialists Slawosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary -- are expected to dock with the ISS at 7 a.m. EDT Thursday morning.
"With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration," said Whitson in a quote from the Axiom Space website.
"Beautiful shot of our launch vehicle waiting patiently to take us to space," Whitson added in a post Tuesday morning.
Beautiful shot of our launch vehicle waiting patiently to take us to space. #Ax4 pic.twitter.com/fmGlhrPExH— Peggy Whitson (@AstroPeggy) June 24, 2025
The Axiom-4 mission was repeatedly delayed. A first launch attempt earlier this month was scrubbed due to high winds, and a second one was called off after SpaceX detected a liquid oxygen leak in its Falcon 9 rocket.
The launch was scrubbed again Sunday to ensure the ISS was ready to receive the new crew members, according to NASA. The station's orbital laboratory's Zvezda service module had recently been repaired, and NASA was reviewing data to ensure all systems were ready to handle additional people.
Axiom Space, which is based in Houston, is building the first commercial space station, scheduled to deploy sometime before 2030.
The Axiom-4 mission is scheduled to last 14 days. The crew will conduct 60 scientific experiments and demonstrations "focused on human research, Earth observation and life, biological and material sciences," according to SpaceX.
"Up next: Falcon 9 will launch Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission to the Space Station."
Up next: Falcon 9 will launch @Axiom_Space's Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station no earlier than Wednesday, June 25 from pad 39A in Florida → https://t.co/LU1wyD8uZ0 pic.twitter.com/p2sXnMCEiR— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 24, 2025
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From left to right are Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander and Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson, and Sławosz Uznański of Poland.(Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The Axiom Ax-4 crew stop to talk with family in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 before driving in some SpaceX Teslas out to Launch Pad 39-A for a launch attempt early Wednesday. From left to right are Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander and Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson, and Sławosz Uznański of Poland.(Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The Axiom Ax-4 crew stop to talk with family in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 before driving in some SpaceX Teslas out to Launch Pad 39-A for a launch attempt early Wednesday. 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