Axiom Space and SpaceX aim for overnight launch

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — After a number of delays, Axiom Space and SpaceX will be attempting an early Wednesday morning launch of the Axiom 4 mission, which will see four astronauts — three of whom will venture into the deep black for the first time — to the International Space Station.

This is the fourth private mission to the famed space station by Axiom Space.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and its crewed Dragon capsule will send up the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, stated Axiom Space, SpaceX and NASA.

The launch is set for 2:31 a.m. ET, Wednesday.

The 45th Weather Squadron is giving a 90% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only concern being the cumulus cloud rule and the flight through precipitation.

If the launch is scrubbed, the next attempt will be Thursday at 2:09 a.m. ET.

The Ax-4 mission has had a number of attempts to launch, but something came up.

It was originally set to go up at 8:22 a.m. ET, Tuesday, June 10, but SpaceX posted on X, that high winds were the reason why the launch was pushed back.

The second attempt was Wednesday, June 11, but a liquid oxygen leak was discovered on the Falcon 9 following a static fire booster inspection.

Before a third launch attempt could take place, NASA and Axiom Space announced that they would be standing down from the Ax-4 launch due to leaks in the Russian section of the International Space Station, which is the Zvezda module.

A third attempt was set for Sunday, June 22, but was scrubbed due to concerns of the leaks on the space station and the repair work that was being conducted.

Spectrum News reached out to both NASA and Axiom Space about why the leak in Russia’s Zvezda module would be an issue since it is not near the Harmony module where the SpaceX Dragon capsule being used for the mission will be docked.

“The International Space Station is an interconnected system, so NASA and our partners are continuously mindful of all operational activities. Following a recent repair, we are taking some additional time to better understand the current configuration to determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary,” explained Joshua Finch of NASA’s Commercial Crew Resources’ Office of Communications to Spectrum News.

For the Ax-4 mission, it will be the maiden voyage for Dragon spacecraft that will carry the four; its name is C213.

In fact, it is the last Crew Dragon capsule that SpaceX will build, as the company’s business model is to reuse its rockets and spacecraft. SpaceX has five Dragon capsules.

The first-stage Falcon 9 booster for this mission is named B1094. Before this launch, it has only had one other: The Starlink 12-10 mission.  

The Falcon 9 is expected to land at Landing Zone 1, so a sonic boom is expected to be heard.

The Dragon capsule is expected to dock with the International Space Station on Thursday at 7 a.m. ET for up to 14 days.

This will be the fourth time the Texas-based Axiom Space has used SpaceX to send astronauts to the ISS. This will be another all-private human crewed mission from Axiom Space, where the four will stay on the floating laboratory for up to 14 days.

Late Tuesday night, Axiom Space’s Co-Founder Kam Ghaffarian shared with Spectrum News why this fourth mission was special and how it shows that the international community comes together when it comes to scientific research.

Kam Ghaffarian, @Axiom_Space’s
co-founder & executive chairman, was telling me why the #Ax4 mission reflects the growing cooperation within the international community.

He also talked about #AxiomStation that will replace the ISS.

See more @MyNews13:https://t.co/JaYHf3gVPU pic.twitter.com/pcV2KD9BFu

— 🚀Anthony Leone🌕 (@AnthonyLeone) June 25, 2025

And the quartet will be busy for those two weeks as they bring more than 60 experiments with them.

Some of these experiments are in partnerships with private companies and space programs that include 31 countries.

Some of these research studies include:

Go here to learn more about the research being conducted during the Ax-4 mission.

Axiom Space’s Chief scientist Dr. Lucie Low shared more about some of the experiments that will be sent up to the International Space Station. 

Dr. Lucie Low of @Axiom_Space shared with me some of the more than 60 experiments being launched during the #Ax4 mission and which one she is most interested in.

Learn more about the mission in my @MyNews13 story: https://t.co/JaYHf3go0m pic.twitter.com/Lw0t2T1MMU

— 🚀Anthony Leone🌕 (@AnthonyLeone) June 25, 2025

Retired NASA astronaut Winston Scott shared with Spectrum News about his thoughts on the Ax-4 mission and the future of commercial space. 

Mission specialist Tibor Kapu, left, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Cmdr. Peggy Whitson, and mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski will be heading to the International Space Station for two weeks to conduct more than 60 experiments. (Axiom Space)

The four astronauts — three of whom will venture into the deep black for the first time — have a diverse background.

“The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation’s first mission to the space station in history and second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years,” explained Axiom Space.

Cmdr. Peggy Whitson: The former NASA astronaut became the first woman to command a private space assignment during the Ax-2 mission in 2023. She was recently inducted into the 2025 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Adding up her mission time in her career, Whitson has spent 675 days, four hours and five minutes in space. She is a real space veteran while her three crew members will be first-timers for this mission.

Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla: A pilot for the Indian Air Force, he will be the second Indian Space Research Organization astronaut to go into space since 1984.

Mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski: As a member of the European Space Agency, he is both a scientist and engineer. He will be the second Polish astronaut to go into space since 1978.

Mission specialist Tibor Kapu: He has studied mechanical engineering with a master’s degree specializing in polymer technology. He has dabbled in pharmaceutical industries and worked on the development of a hybrid car battery. He will be the second Hungarian astronaut since 1980 to go into space.

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