A rocket launch lit up the night sky on the Space Coast as it sent a crew of four astronauts to orbit aboard a brand new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
After multiple delays ranging from rocket issues to a leak on the International Space Station, the Axiom Space Mission 4 was finally off the ground. The crew had been in quarantine ahead of launch since May 25.
The liftoff finally came at 2:31 a.m. June 25 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center pad 39A. The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage, also known as the booster, came in for a landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, creating a sonic boom heard throughout Brevard.
Commanding this mission is former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, a record-breaking space flier. She called the launch in the new spacecraft an “incredible ride uphill.” This mission is Whitson’s second with Axiom Space.
Upon reaching orbit, the name of the latest SpaceX Dragon capsule, the final addition to the fleet, was revealed to be Grace. During a media briefing earlier this month, the crew had teased that the name would be related to their zero-gravity indicator — a plush swan.
“Grace is more than a name. It reflects the elegance at which we move through space against the backdrop of Earth,” Whitson said. “Grace reminds us that spaceflight is not just a feat of engineering, but an act of goodwill.”
Joining Whitson are first-time fliers Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The mission brings a return to human spaceflight for these three countries, as in over 40 years the countries have not seen a government-sponsored astronaut.
It was the fourth astronaut mission for Axiom Space, which is working to build one of the many private space stations planned in the next decade after the ISS is deorbited.
The crew is expected to reach the ISS no earlier than 7 a.m. June 26. The four will spend two weeks onboard the space station where they will oversee 60 science experiments.
These experiments include a project which will investigate glucose monitoring and insulin onboard the ISS. Depending on results, findings could make it possible for individuals with diabetes to fly in space. Currently, those with diabetes are disqualified due to medical unknowns.
Another test by Booz Allen Hamilton, a technology company, will oversee biometric readings on a crew member using the Oura Ring. This project looks at analyzing and storing readings such as sleep quality and heart rate.
Other experiments will look at cancer growth, how the space environment impacts human perception, as well as plant nutrition and growth in space.
Once the mission is complete, the crew will splash down off the coast of California, where SpaceX recently moved its Dragon recovery operations.
The Axiom launch was the first of a planned doubleheader on the Space Coast, with a SpaceX Starlink launch set for Wednesday afternoon.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launches Axiom Space crew from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Reporting by Brooke Edwards, Florida Today / Florida Today
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