The AX-4 mission to the ISS aimed to capture atmospheric phenomena like sprite lightning but fell short, though an astronaut captured a notable image. Meanwhile, Boeing's Starliner faces delays due to technical issues, and NASA's Perseverance rover set a record for longest drive on Mars. Additionally, astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe early planet formation around a distant star, providing new insights into planetary origins.
The private Ax-4 astronauts are returning to Earth on July 14, with their undocking from the ISS scheduled for early morning, and the reentry and splashdown will be streamed live by NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space.
SpaceX successfully launched four astronauts on the Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station, marking the fourth private spaceflight by Axiom Space. The crew includes veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, and astronauts from Poland and Hungary, returning their countries to human spaceflight after over 40 years. The mission faced delays due to weather and technical issues but proceeded with a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which will remain docked at the ISS for a two-week research mission.
NASA is considering a new launch date of June 19 for the Ax-4 private astronaut mission to the ISS, after delays caused by an air leak in the Russian segment and a liquid oxygen leak in a Falcon 9 rocket. The agency is evaluating pressure data from the station's vestibule to assess the leak's severity, while SpaceX has fixed the rocket issue. Elon Musk has reiterated his call for the early retirement of the ISS, citing safety concerns and suggesting deep space missions as alternatives.
