Axiom Mission 2

"Ax-2" redirects here. For other uses, see AX-2.

Axiom Mission 2
A Falcon 9 launches Crew Dragon Freedom and the Ax-2 crew to the International Space Station
NamesAx-2
Mission typePrivate spaceflight to the ISS
Operator
COSPAR ID2023-070A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.56739Edit this on Wikidata
Websiteaxiomspace.com/ax2
Mission duration9 days, 5 hours, 26 minutes
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCrew Dragon Freedom
Spacecraft typeCrew Dragon
ManufacturerSpaceX
Crew
Crew size4
Members
Start of mission
Launch date21 May 2023, 21:37:09 (21 May 2023, 21:37:09) UTC (5:37:09 pm EDT)[1]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 (B1080.1)
Launch siteKennedy, LC‑39A
ContractorSpaceX
End of mission
Recovered byMV Megan
Landing date31 May 2023, 03:04 (31 May 2023, 03:04) UTC
Landing siteGulf of Mexico
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.66°
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony zenith
Docking date22 May 2023, 13:12 UTC
Undocking date30 May 2023, 15:05 UTC
Time docked8 days, 1 hour, 53 minutes[2]

Axiom Mission 2 patch

From left: Whitson, Shoffner, AlQarni and Barnawi

Axiom Mission 2 (or Ax-2) was a private crewed spaceflight operated by Axiom Space. Ax-2 was launched on 21 May 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9, successfully docking with the International Space Station (ISS) on 22 May.[3][2] After eight days docked to the ISS, the Dragon crew capsule Freedom undocked and returned to Earth twelve hours later.[4]

Ax-2 was the second Axiom mission after Axiom Mission 1 in April 2022 and the third private crewed SpaceX Dragon mission.

  1. ^ Baylor, Michael. "Falcon 9 Block 5 - Axiom Mission 2 (AX-2)". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b "NASA Selects Second Private Astronaut Mission to Space Station". NASA. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ "SpaceX Dragon capsule docks at space station with private Ax-2 astronaut crew (Video)". Space.com. 22 May 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference reuters20230531 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).