CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Another four humans left the Earth on Sunday evening with the launch of Axiom Space’s private mission to the International Space Station hitching a ride aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 5:37 p.m. from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A to bring to the ISS the Ax-2 crew of former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson acting as commander, private customer and aviator John Shoffner as pilot, and a pair of Saudi Space Commission astronauts, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni.
“Thanks for putting your trust in the Falcon 9 team. Hope you enjoyed the ride to space. Have a great trip on Dragon. Welcome home to zero G Peggy,” said SpaceX’s William Gerstenmaier, who formerly was NASA’s chief of human spaceflight, directing his comment to Whitson, who has flown to space three times previously.
