Axiom Mission 4: How to watch crewed SpaceX Dragon reach International Space Station

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A SpaceX vehicle carrying four astronauts on a private mission for Axiom Space is on its way to the International Space Station — and you can livestream the moment they reach their destination.

In the hours ahead, the crew of a venture known as Axiom Mission 4 are due to dock at the orbital outpost to begin about a two-week science mission.

The mission is the latest spaceflight led by Texas-based Axiom Space, which partnered 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 the company has sent a crew to the space station for a private research mission.

Interested in watching the astronauts reach the space station early Thursday, June 26? NASA will provide a livestream available to the public.

Here's what to know.

When was the Axiom 4 launch?

The launch got off the ground right on time at 2:31 a.m. ET Wednesday, June 25, from NASA's historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

The Ax-4 crew are riding a brand new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to orbit, which launched on 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.

Now that the Dragon has separated from the Falcon 9 following liftoff, the capsule is continuing its independent journey to the orbital outpost, where it's expected to dock Thursday, June 26.

How to watch coverage of docking at International Space Station

Those watching from home will be able to catch a livestream as the spaceflight nears its end.

NASA, which provided coverage of the launch itself with SpaceX, will resume its livestream on its NASA+ streaming service as the crew members aboard the Dragon approaches their destination.

Coverage is anticipated to begin around 5 a.m. ET Thursday, June 26. The spacecraft is then expected to dock around 7 a.m. at the station's Harmony module, after which the hatches between the spacecraft and the module will open to allow the crew to enter the ISS.

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 space 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.

Who is the crew of Axiom 4?

Here's a look at the four international astronauts crewing Ax-4:

• 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

Contributing: Brooke Edwards, Paste BN Network

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