Four-member private astronauts team is slated to head back to Earth after spending a week in orbit. The astronauts who were part of the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) are coming back home from the International Space Station (ISS) through the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
The spacecraft is scheduled to splashdown off the coast of Tampa, Florida, around 11:00 PM EDT on Tuesday.
“The Axiom Mission 2 crew is heading home in @SpaceX’s Dragon Freedom spacecraft after wrapping up the second all-private astronaut mission to the @Space_Station. #Ax2 undocking is scheduled for 11:05am ET (1505 UTC),” NASA said in a tweet while sharing a video of the astronauts.
Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi are part of the crew of Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2). Apart from the astronauts, the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is expected to bring more than 300 pounds of cargo, which will include hardware for NASA and other details from several experiments.
Axiom Station: World’s first commercial space station
Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) is a private space mission to expand access to the International Space Station (ISS) and low-Earth orbit. The mission aims to build out and operate Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station.
“Aboard the orbiting laboratory, the four-person, multinational crew will conduct extensive research, investigate novel technologies, and engage with audiences around the world as champions of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics,” the website of Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) said.
Streaming of the re-entry and splashdown:
The re-entry and splashdown of the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) will be streamed live on the Axiom Space and SpaceX website. All the updates about the mission will be available on both websites.
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Updated: 30 May 2023, 09:48 PM IST