Axiom Mission 4 crew: How to watch livestream of SpaceX rocket launch from Florida

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At long last, a group of four astronauts selected for a commercial spaceflight known as Axiom Mission 4 are on the cusp of finally heading to orbit.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket set to blast off from Florida will carry a crew led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson for a two-week mission at the International Space Station. There, they will conduct dozens of science experiments before departing for a water landing off the coast of California.

Axiom Space, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is the company behind the mission, which is its latest in a series of human spaceflights in partnership with both NASA and SpaceX – the commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk. The mission, also known as Ax-4, represents the fourth time in about three years that a crew has ventured to the space station for a private research mission.

If you want to see the mission get off the ground, you'll have to either stay up pretty late or get up pretty early.

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Here's what to know about the upcoming launch, as well as how to watch a livestream of the SpaceX rocket get off the ground from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

What is the Axiom 4 mission?

Axiom Mission 4, also known as Ax-4, is a commercial spaceflight venture that aims to send four private astronauts on a two-week trip to the International Space Station. Among the mission's crew are astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary who would be the first from their respective nations to ever reach the station.

Under the command of former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the crew members are due to undertake about 60 scientific experiments during their time aboard the orbital laboratory. The research was developed specifically to take place in microgravity on behalf of organizations around the world, according to Axiom Space.

The Axiom missions are also aimed at advancing the company's goals of building a space station that will attach to the ISS before its planned 2030 retirement. The Axiom missions began in 2022, with the most recent, Axiom Mission 3, taking place in January 2024.

When will Axiom 4 launch from Florida?

The launch could happen as early as 2:31 a.m. ET Wednesday, June 24, from NASA's historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

The Ax-4 crew are due to ride a brand new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to orbit, which will get off the ground with the assistance of the company's two-stage Falcon 9 rocket.

Axiom Space was originally working toward a May 29 launch before a slew of factors delayed the mission multiple times, including bad weather, issues with the Falcon 9 rocket and a leak on the International Space Station.

Once the Dragon separates from the Falcon 9 following liftoff, the capsule will continue its independent journey to the orbital outpost, where it's expected to dock Thursday, June 26.

How to watch NASA, SpaceX livestream of launch

Those watching from home will have plenty of options to catch a livestream of the spaceflight.

Both SpaceX and Axiom Space will provide a webcast, with coverage beginning about two hours before the launch. SpaceX's webcast will be available on its website here, and on social media site X.

NASA will join coverage of the launch about an hour ahead of liftoff on its NASA+ streaming service, available here.

Who is the crew of Axiom 4?

Here's a look at the four international astronauts that make up the SpaceX Ax-4 crew:

• Commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space who previously commanded Ax-2
• Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, an astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
• Mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a scientist and engineer from Poland who is part of the European Space Agency's reserve astronaut class
• Mission specialist Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer from Hungary

How long will the SpaceX Ax-4 astronauts be in space?

The Ax-4 crew members and their Dragon spacecraft are expected to be docked at the International Space Station for up to 14 days.

Though their exact return date remains unclear, they would eventually depart the space station on the Dragon for a water landing off the coast of California, where SpaceX has recently moved its recovery operations.

This article has been updated to add new information.

Contributing: Brooke Edwards, FLORIDA TODAY

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the Paste BN Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com