SpaceX Launch Of Axiom's 2nd All-Private ISS Mission Delayed Indefinitely

Axiom Space‘s second all-private mission to the International Space Station (ISS) Ax-2 has been postponed with no future launch dates in sight.

What Happened: The Ax-2 launch is no longer planned for May 8, Axiom Space said on Twitter. NASA, Axiom Space and SpaceX are now working together to identify another launch opportunity.

The crew, however, is ready, Axiom said. The four-member crew will be led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. The other members are pilot John Shoffner and mission specialists Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Under the mission, the crew will fly on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, dock to the ISS for 10 days and conduct more than 20 research experiments.

As per the Axiom Space website, the Ax-2 crew is currently scheduled to launch in the spring of 2023. The updated launch date will be announced “soon,” both NASA and Axiom said on Twitter.

Why It Matters: The mission to ISS was previously scheduled for May 8. Axiom Space CEO Michael Suffredini said at a virtual press conference last month that the mission will be launched from Florida on May 8 at 10:43 pm ET.

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