SpaceX is counting right down to launch the second all-private mission to the International Space Station today (May 21) and should you’re hoping to follow it online, you are going to have to know when it actually lifts off.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 4 astronauts on the Axiom Space Ax-2 mission to the space station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The ten-day mission is commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, with paying customer John Shoffner as pilot and Saudia Arabia’s first two astronauts , Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, rounding out the crew.
You may follow the launch live with our Ax-2 mission updates page and watch the Ax-2 astronaut launch live online. Read on to see what time SpaceX will launch the Ax-2 mission today
What time is the SpaceX Ax-2 astronaut launch?
SpaceX will launch the Ax-2 mission for Axiom Space at 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT) from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the location utilized by the corporate for all of its human spaceflight missions.
The launch has an “instantaneous window,” meaning SpaceX must launch at the moment so as to reach the International Space Station on schedule and can’t hold the countdown. If SpaceX has to delay for any reason, the corporate can try again on Monday, May 22, at 5:14 p.m. EDT (2114 GMT).
Related: Meet the 4 astronauts of Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission
Can I watch the Ax-2 astronaut launch online?
Yes. NASA, SpaceX and Axiom Space will offer a series of live webcasts for the general public to follow the Ax-2 launch live. You may watch the SpaceX Ax-2 launch online in a Space.com simulcast of those webcasts.
SpaceX’s webcast will begin around 2:10 p.m. EDT (1810 GMT) and run through liftoff. You will discover it at SpaceX’s Ax-2 mission page and YouTube channel. The corporate can even offer an audio-only feed from its launch center in Florida and Mission Control center in Hawthorne, California.
Axiom Space’s launch webcast begins at the identical time and will be a simulcast. It is going to stream live at Axiom’s YouTube channel. Axiom Space has also said it should provide an Arabic language livestream for Saudi Arabia viewers tracking the launch.
NASA’s webcast will begin at 4:30 p.m. EDT (2030 GMT) and canopy the last hour of prelaunch operations and the liftoff. It is going to be broadcast on NASA’s YouTube channel and NASA TV.
How long is SpaceX’s Ax-2 astronaut launch?
From liftoff to spacecraft separation, SpaceX’s Ax-2 mission launch should last slightly below 13 minutes, however the mission itself will last for much longer.
Axiom Space’s Ax-2 astronauts will fly a 10-day mission to the International Space Station and are expected to spend eight of those days actually living and dealing aboard the space station, where they are going to perform 20 different science investigations amid other tasks and outreach events. It is going to take 15 hours for the Dragon capsule, called Freedom, to succeed in the space station on Monday, May 22.
SpaceXs final hour before launch features a series of critical tasks to get the rocket able to fly. Here’s the schedule SpaceX will follow to succeed in liftoff, including fueling the Falcon 9 rocket with its RP-1 rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellant.
Related: Ax-2 private astronaut mission will grow 1st stem cells in space
TIME (Hr:Min:Sec) | EVENT | Header Cell – Column 2 |
---|---|---|
T-00:45:00 | Launch director gives “go” for fueling | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
T-00:42:00 | Dragon launch escape system armed | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
T-00:35:00 | RP-1 fueling starts | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
T-00:35:00 | 1st stage LOX fueling starts | Row 3 – Cell 2 |
T-00:16:00 | 2nd stage LOX fueling starts | Row 4 – Cell 2 |
T-00:7:00 | Falcon 9 engine chilldown | Row 5 – Cell 2 |
T-00:05:00 | Dragon on internal power | Row 6 – Cell 2 |
T-00:01:00 | Propellant tank pressurization for flight | Row 7 – Cell 2 |
T-00:01:00 | Command flight computer’s final checks | Row 8 – Cell 2 |
T-00:00:45 | Launch director’s final GO for launch | Row 9 – Cell 2 |
T-00:00:03 | Engine ignition sequence starts | Row 10 – Cell 2 |
T-00:00:00 | Liftoff | Row 11 – Cell 2 |
One the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Ax-2 mission lifts off, that is when the 13-minute trip to orbit begins. Here’s a rundown of how that may work for this flight, including first and second stage foremost engine cutoffs (MECO).
TIME (Hr:Min:Sec) | EVENT | Header Cell – Column 2 |
---|---|---|
T+00:00:00 | Liftoff | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
T+00:01:02 | Falcon 9 at Max Q | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
T+00:02:26 | 1st stage MECO | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
T+00:02:29 | Stage separation | Row 3 – Cell 2 |
T+00:02:37 | 2nd stage foremost engine start | Row 4 – Cell 2 |
T+00:02:39 | 1st stage boost back burn starts | Row 5 – Cell 2 |
T+00:03:28 | Boost back burn ends | Row 6 – Cell 2 |
T+00:06:25 | 1st stage entry burn | Row 7 – Cell 2 |
T+00:07:31 | 1st stage landing burn | Row 8 – Cell 2 |
T+00:07:58 | 1st stage landing | Row 9 – Cell 2 |
T+00:08:47 | 2nd stage engine cutoff | Row 10 – Cell 2 |
T+00:11:58 | Dragon capsule separation | Row 11 – Cell 2 |
T+00:12:46 | Dragon nosecone opens | Row 12 – Cell 2 |
What if SpaceX’s Ax-2 mission cannot launch on time?
SpaceX has an instantaneous window during which to launch the Ax-2 mission, so if it cannot liftoff on May 21 at 5:37 p.m. EDT for any reason, it should need to be delayed at the least sooner or later.
There may be a backup launch opportunity on Monday, May 22, at 5:14 p.m. EDT (2114 GMT), that SpaceX could use to launch the Ax-2 astronauts, but weather could also be a priority. U.S. Space Force officials have said that poor weather moving in early Monday means the launch has only a 20% likelihood of excellent conditions for flight.
If SpaceX is unable to launch the Ax-2 mission for Axiom Space by May 22, the timeline gets a bit more complicated and will result in a lengthy delay.
NASA currently expects SpaceX to launch an uncrewed Dragon spacecraft on the CRS-28cargo mission on June 3, and plan to offer that mission priority if Ax-2 cannot lift off this week. Meanwhile, SpaceX rival Boeing is planning to launch its first crewed flight of its Starliner spacecraft in July, a mission that can also be a high priority for NASA.
“If we do not get off on Sunday, Monday we’ll get along with NASA and Axiom and SpaceX and type of have a look at the entire manifest and see what the subsequent opportunity is for launch opportunity for the Axiom 2 mission,” NASA space station manager Joel Montalbano said Saturday.