During the early hours of June 25, 2025, a X Falcon 9 rocket blasted off into , headed for the International Station. The launch was part of the private Axiom-4 mission carrying four astronauts on X’s Dragon craft.
What is it?
The Falcon 9 is a
two-stage rocket
that often carries cargo,
Starlink satellites
, or crew members in its corresponding
Dragon craft.
Its reusable system aligns with X’s
mission
to make flight less costly, and thus more accessible.
When the rocket’s first stage booster returns to Earth for launch site landings, the stage’s boost back burn can sometimes create these plumes of exhaust high in the atmosphere.
Where is it?
The Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA’s
Kennedy Center
in Florida and is currently headed for the
International Station.
Why is it amazing?
The Ax-4 launch is a mission of “firsts,” as it carried the
first ever-people
from India, Hungary and Poland into , including pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu. Leading the team is former NASA astronaut
Peggy Whitson
, currently Axiom’s director of human flight.
Ax-4 was not easy to get off the ground, however. The mission faced two weeks of
delays
since its original launch date of June 11, 2025. These delays were caused by high winds as well as
leaks
on both the launch vehicle and the ISS.
But finally, on the morning of June 25, 2025, the Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched, ferrying the crew toward the ISS. Once there, the astronauts will spend
two weeks in orbit
and conduct over 60 experiments before returning back to Earth.
Want to learn more?
You can read more about the
Ax-4 mission
and X’s
Falcon 9
rocket as the
private flight
sector continues to expand into our night skies.
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