SpaceX sent a new group of space tourists to the ISS

May 21 at 0:37 Moscow time SpaceX sent to the ISS, the Freedom spacecraft (SpaceX Crew Dragon models) using the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. This is a private launch by Axiom for a team of four.

In the coming hours, Freedom will be approaching the ISS, docking is expected today at 16:24 Moscow time. After that, the team will spend 8 days on the station and will live and work with seven other astronauts who are currently on the ISS.

The captain was Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut. This is the first time a woman has commanded a crewed private space mission. She previously became the first female ISS commander and has spent 665 days in space - longer than any American or any other woman.

Also on board the Freedom are two Saudi nationals: Ali al-Qarni and Rayana Barnawi. They were selected from the first class of Saudi astronauts. Both should become the first citizens of their country to visit the ISS. Barnawi also became the first Saudi woman to fly into space.

The fourth member of the team is businessman John Schoffner. He became a mission pilot and took a paid seat in the crew. For him, flying was the realization of a lifelong dream.

This mission was Axiom's second, and feedback from the first mission helped optimize the training program for new astronauts.

Parallel Axiom develops for NASA spacesuits for the lunar mission, the launch of which is scheduled for the end of 2025. The company is also working on a private space station. The modules for it will be launched to the ISS, and after docking, the new station will be disconnected to create a new independent waypoint in low Earth orbit.