SpaceX F9/Crew Dragon : Axiom AX-4 : KSC LC-39A : 25 June 2025 (06:31 UTC)

[astropl]

Dragon GRACE S/C Sep.

Is it the name of C213?

[catdlr]

Launch, landing, and Dragon separation highlights video

[catdlr]

Max Evens

https://twitter.com/_mgde_/status/1937767532263326164

[Targeteer]

I have an iSS pass shortly and the SpaceX site shows Dragon close behind...

[catdlr]

Backup Video Links:

ESA: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BF2SXoVSR1k

NASA: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_4TT_1e6rkM

AXIOM SPACE:  https://youtube.com/watch?v=YAue1QljRg4

SPACEX Re-broadcast in 4K:  https://youtube.com/watch?v=uHk4dA3hVYA

[catdlr]

Dragon GRACE S/C Sep.

Is it the name of C213?

Yes!

[catdlr]

NASA to Welcome Fourth Private Astronaut Mission to Space Station
The headshot image of Tiernan P. Doyle
Tiernan P. Doyle
Jun 25, 2025
RELEASE
25-040
NASA Headquarters

As part of NASA’s efforts to expand access to space, four private astronauts are in orbit following the successful launch of the fourth all private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft lifted off at 2:31 a.m. EDT Wednesday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying Axiom Mission 4 crew members Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space as commander, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut and pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and mission specialists ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

“Congratulations to Axiom Space and SpaceX on a successful launch,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro. “Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, America has expanded international participation and commercial capabilities in low Earth orbit. U.S. industry is enabling astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to return to space for the first time in over forty years. It’s a powerful example of American leadership bringing nations together in pursuit of science, discovery, and opportunity.”

A collaboration between NASA and ISRO allowed Axiom Mission 4 to deliver on a commitment highlighted by President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station. The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations. NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space collaboration.

This mission serves as an example of the success derived from collaboration between NASA’s international partners and American commercial space companies.

Live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival will begin at 5 a.m., Thursday, June 26, on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock at approximately 7 a.m. to the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module.

Once aboard the station, Expedition 73 crew members, including NASA astronauts, Nicole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Jonny Kim, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky will welcome the astronauts.

The crew is scheduled to remain at the space station, conducting microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities for about two weeks before a return to Earth and splashdown off the coast of California.

The International Space Station is a springboard for developing a low Earth economy. NASA’s goal is to achieve a strong economy off the Earth where the agency can purchase services as one of many customers to meet its science and research objectives in microgravity. NASA’s commercial strategy for low Earth orbit provides the government with reliable and safe services at a lower cost, empowers U.S. industry, and enables the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars while also continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions.

Learn more about NASA’s commercial space strategy at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-space

-end-

Picture:
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Axiom Mission 4 crew launches atop the Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Axiom Mission 4 crew launches atop the Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

[Targeteer]

Pretty sure I saw Dragon, very dim in scattered high clouds

[catdlr]

Pretty sure I saw Dragon, very dim in scattered high clouds

A dragon, or so I swore,
A faint form in the sky,
Across the scattered clouds,
A shadow passing by.

[HVM]

Pretty sure I saw Dragon, very dim in scattered high clouds

Tell time and date so we can dox you /jk.
Polaris Dawn was barely brighter than Starlink. And compared my only other Dragon sighting, Dragon 1 that was nearly as bright as ISS in southern sky, due Solar Wings, is my guess.

White nights and Midnight sun, such sightings are just dreams of Winter now... (Or one flight to the South away).
 

[jcm]

Cataloged as 2025-137A / 64593.

I was expecting 2025-136A, maybe they made a mistake? Or did I miss a launch?

[Targeteer]

Another opportunity shortly before docking... Thanks Heavens-above.com

[Targeteer]

ISS Crew opening the Node 2 overhead hatch to let the Axiom folks inside.  They must have called ahead...

[catdlr]

Should the Mission be in its thread (In the AXIOM Commercial Thread) or do we continue posting the entire 2 weeks' mission in this thread??

meanwhile


https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space/status/1937979977758113813

Over the next few hours, the #Ax4 crew will travel to the @Space_Station for an approximate docking on June 26 at 7:00 AM EDT. Tune in for the live docking broadcast starting at 5:00 AM EDT.

[ChrisC]

Should the Mission be in its thread (In the AXIOM Commercial Thread) or do we continue posting the entire 2 weeks' mission in this thread??

In the past we've just continued in this thread, even though it's nominally for the launcher.  Here's the Axiom-3 thread, in this same Falcon 9 section, cued up to where we were covering the approach and docking.

EDIT: LOL yes it's an imperfect world   One justification for just keeping the Axiom mission activity in the launcher thread is that they are pretty short, 10 days or so.  And honestly not a lot gets posted about them, in between launch and return.  But I definitely believe in separating the operations phase of the deep space missions into their own thread, in the Space Science section as you noted!  Especially now the UMSF has shut down -- it's nice to have one section to go to to follow them.

[catdlr]

Should the Mission be in its thread (In the AXIOM Commercial Thread) or do we continue posting the entire 2 weeks' mission in this thread??

In the past we've just continued in this thread, even though it's nominally for the launcher.  Here's the Axiom-3 thread, in this same Falcon 9 section, cued up to where we were covering the approach and docking.

Yeah, understand.  Kinda strange, for other missions, like the recent moon missions, SpaceX would launch it, but then we would jump over to the Space Science Coverage section,  example: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=62212.0

P.S. You clicked "Like it" on that idea.

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/CarstensPete/status/1938007895259676678

Some stills of Axiom 4 in the early morning hours.

[SMS]

Cataloged as 2025-137A / 64593.

I was expecting 2025-136A, maybe they made a mistake? Or did I miss a launch?

I found it on the website: https://www.space-track.org/#catalog

"64593 AXIOM-4 2025-136A PAYLOAD US 2025-06-25 AFETR 88.47min 51.60° 209km x 189km"!

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space/status/1938082381027516579

We have #Ax4 liftoff on loop. Here’s a short recap of all the excitement from this morning’s event!

[catdlr]

Before the docking later, a live event from the Dragon Capsule is scheduled shortly at 1:47 ET.  Get your jammies on and a hot cocoa.


https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space/status/1938103761223974998


https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1938108154879115718