Excitement builds for Ax-2 SpaceX launch that will send 1st Saudi woman to space

The Ax-2 crew in the launch access arm at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, at the launch pad. From left: mission specialist Ali Alqarni, commander Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner and mission specialist Rayyanah Barnawi.

Excitement is building for the launch of Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), which will break new ground in terms of diversity in space exploration. 

The private mission, organized by Houston-based company Axiom Space, is set to launch at 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT) on Sunday (May 21) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It will see biomedical researcher Rayyanah Barnawi become the first Saudi Arabian woman to journey to space.