Countdown to SpaceX's Ax-2 private astronaut launch.
SpaceX will launch the Axiom Space Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station at 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT) on May 21 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The 10-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. The launch has an "instantaneous window," meaning SpaceX must launch at that time in order to reach the International Space Station on schedule and cannot hold the countdown. Live webcasts will be available from NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space.
