NASA and Axiom Space will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agencys website will provide coverage for docking and undocking operations and some prelaunch and launch activities.
Liftoff is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 6, from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the orbiting outpost aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the companys Falcon 9 rocket.
The Ax-1 crew members are Commander Michael Lpez-Alegra of Spain and the United States, Pilot Larry Connor of the United States, Mission Specialist Eytan Stibbe of Israel, and Mission Specialist Mark Pathy of Canada.
During the 10-day mission, the crew will spend eight days on the International Space Station, conducting scientific research, outreach, and commercial activities.
NASA coverage of the Ax-1 launch will be available as follows (all times Eastern):
Tuesday, April 5
No earlier than 3 p.m. Prelaunch News Conference (targeted for one hour following the Launch Readiness Review)
The prelaunch news conference will focus on final preparations for the Ax-1 mission. It will discuss the results of the Launch Readiness Review, which evaluates the mission hardware and its readiness for launch. NASA will provide a livestream of the news conference at:
Participants include:
- Dana Weigel, International Space Station deputy program manager, NASA
- Angela Hart, Commercial Low-Earth orbit (LEO) Program manager, NASA
- Michael Suffredini, president and CEO, Axiom Space
- Derek Hassmann, operations director, Axiom Space
- Benjamin Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
- Launch Weather Officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force
