KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — SpaceX’s fifth and final Crew Dragon spacecraft finally made it off the ground on a private astronaut mission for Axiom Space.
Launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Long exposure of the launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Axiom Space Ax-4 mission launches from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
The Falcon 9 rocket venting before the launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
The Falcon 9 rocket venting before the launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
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Launch of the Axiom Ax-4 mission from Launch Complex 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson is the commander; Indian Space Research Organisation astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot; and European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the mission specialists. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
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A Falcon 9 rocket topped with the capsule carrying the four-person crew of the Ax-4 mission lifted off from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A at 2:31 a.m. headed to the International Space Station.
It lit up the clear night sky with the rocket’s bright burn streaking across the pinholes of constellations like Andromeda, Cepheus and Cygnus the swan. As it climbed higher, the rocket plume created what’s been called a jellyfish effect of quavering blue and orange waves of light.
The first-stage booster made its second flight with a recovery landing at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1, bringing a sonic boom that was heard across parts of Central Florida in the wee hours of the morning.
Former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space employee Commander Peggy Whitson, who is making her fifth spaceflight, revealed the spacecraft’s new name shortly after reaching orbit.
“We’ve had an incredible ride uphill and now we’d like to set our course for the International Space Station aboard the newest members of the Dragon fleet, our spacecraft named Grace,” she said. “Grace is more than a name. It reflects the elegance with which we move through space against the backdrop of Earth.”
It joins Crew Dragon Endeavour, which first flew in 2020 and was followed by Resilience, Endurance and Freedom.
“It speaks to the refinement of our mission, the harmony of science and spirit and the unmerited favor we carry with humility,” Whitson said. “Grace reminds us that spaceflight is not just a feat of engineering but an act of goodwill to the benefit of every human everywhere.”
Liftoff of Ax-4! pic.twitter.com/RHiVFVdnz3
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 25, 2025
Whitson had hinted at the name being related to the crew’s zero-gravity indicator, meaning the small item traditionally used to let astronauts know when they’ve made it to space. For this mission it was a plush swan named Joy.
She was leading a crew of three customers from three countries that had not sent anyone to space in more than four decades. Taking the role of pilot was India’s Shubhanshu Shukla while Sławosz Uznański of Poland, a European Space Agency project astronaut, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are mission specialists.
Each man is now the second to fly for their country, and the first as astronauts. Their predecessors flew as cosmonauts under a program with the Soviet Union in the 1970s and early 1980s.
The mission had a tortuous path to launch.
Attempts in just the last two weeks had been called off because of weather, a leak on the rocket and a leak on the space station. There was even a scare with less than an hour before liftoff when SpaceX had to troubleshoot getting data loaded into the new Crew Dragon needed in case of an emergency abort after launch. With one minute to go before SpaceX would have had to call off the launch, though, mission control let the crew know they were good to proceed.
The mission was originally targeting a 2024 launch but kept getting pushed for sundry reasons including losing their original ride to space, the flight-proven Crew Dragon Endurance, which ended up serving the needs of the Crew-10 mission that flew up to the space station in March.
That change was due to SpaceX’s delays in getting the new Crew Dragon ready, but it ultimately became the Ax-4 ride, meaning its crew was given the honor of naming it.
“Good things come to those who wait,” said mission control after the name reveal. “Godspeed to the maiden crew of Grace.”
Since its first human spaceflight in 2020, SpaceX has now flown its fleet of Crew Dragon spacecraft 18 times carrying 68 humans to space.
Whitson flew three times for NASA in her career, but is now leading an Axiom mission for the second time. With675 days on orbit in the books, she holds the record for any woman and any American for time in space. She’ll now add onto that as Crew Dragon is now targeting arrival to the space station about 7 a.m. Thursday.
The Axiom Ax-4 crew stop to talk with family in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 before driving in some SpaceX Teslas out to Launch Pad 39-A for a launch attempt early Wednesday. From left to right are Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander and Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson, and Sławosz Uznański of Poland.(Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Axiom Ax-4 crew stop to talk with family in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 before driving in some SpaceX Teslas out to Launch Pad 39-A for a launch attempt early Wednesday. From left to right are Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander and Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson, and Sławosz Uznański of Poland.(Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Axiom Ax-4 crew stop to talk with family in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 before driving in some SpaceX Teslas out to Launch Pad 39-A for a launch attempt early Wednesday. From left to right are Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander and Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson, and Sławosz Uznański of Poland.(Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Axiom Ax-4 crew stop to talk with family in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 before driving in some SpaceX Teslas out to Launch Pad 39-A for a launch attempt early Wednesday. From left to right are Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander and Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson, and Sławosz Uznański of Poland.(Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Axiom Ax-4 crew stop to talk with family in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 before driving in some SpaceX Teslas out to Launch Pad 39-A for a launch attempt early Wednesday. From left to right are Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander and Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson, and Sławosz Uznański of Poland.(Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
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The Axiom Ax-4 crew stop to talk with family in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 before driving in some SpaceX Teslas out to Launch Pad 39-A for a launch attempt early Wednesday. From left to right are Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander and Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson, and Sławosz Uznański of Poland.(Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
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The quartet made a stop to see families after 10 p.m. Tuesday with the massive Vehicle Assembly Building looming in the background before hopping in a pair of black Teslas and driving off to the launch pad.
Shukla’s family including his young son Sid held an Indian flag.
“I’m ready for him to launch,” Sid said as his father drove away.
Whitson paid homage to their families and others minutes before liftoff.
“To every person behind the scenes, engineers, trainers, families and friends, you are the quiet force behind this mission,” she said. “We carry the hopes of many with us as we realize this return, we will bring those hopes home to you.”
The quartet plan to spend about two weeks on board the space station performing more than 60 experiments, including some partnered with NASA.
“From all of us that are staying here on the ground, we look forward to your mission,” came the prelaunch call from mission control. “All the hard work from our teams culminates here. So good luck. Enjoy the ride and science the heck out of all your experiments.”
Originally Published: June 25, 2025 at 4:00 AM EDT
