Axiom Mission 2 was a private crewed spaceflight operated by Axiom Space. Ax-2 was launched on 21 May 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9, successfully docking with the International Space Station (ISS)on 22 May.
After eight days docked to the ISS, the Dragon crew capsule Freedom undocked and returned to Earth twelve hours later.
A Falcon 9 launches Freedom and the Ax-2 crew to the International Space Station
(L-R) Whitson, Shoffner, AlQarni and BarnawiAxiom Space missions← Axiom Mission 1Axiom Mission 3 → Crew Dragon flights← SpaceX Crew-6SpaceX Crew-7 →
Axiom-2 docked to the ISS
Axiom-2 crew (front row) aboard the ISS
Axiom Mission 1 was a privately funded and operated crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission was operated by Axiom Space out of Axiom's Mission Control Center MCC-A in Houston, Texas. The flight launched on 8 April 2022 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft used was a SpaceX Crew Dragon. The crew consisted of Michael López-Alegría, an American born in Spain and a professionally trained astronaut hired by Axiom, Eytan Stibbe from Israel, Larry Connor from the United States, and Mark Pathy from Canada.
Ax-1 approaching the ISS
(CW from left) Connor, Stibbe, Pathy and López-AlegríaAxiom Space missionsAxiom Mission 2 → Crew Dragon flights← SpaceX Crew-3SpaceX Crew-4 →
Ax-1 and Artemis 1 on adjacent pads before launch
Launch of Ax-1