NASA-backed Axiom Space astronauts to depart ISS on April 19; Here's how to watch live

The first all-private astronauts of the Axiom-1 (Ax-1) mission are all set to leave the International Space Station (ISS) after a two-week stay. According to NASA, the astronauts who were on a ten-day mission including eight days in the space station, will depart on April 19. Notably, the mission crew will return after spending two extra days in space, reasons for which were not disclosed by either NASA or Axiom Space, the company that organised the mission. 

How to watch the departure and splashdown?

The astronauts will depart from the ISS after the undocking of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule at 8:05 pm (IST) on April 19. Once the undocking is successful, the Ax-1 crew will begin their journey before splashing down at 4:49 pm (IST) on April 20. NASA will stream the departure with a farewell ceremony for the private astronauts starting minutes before the undocking process begins. 

Interested viewers can watch the undocking and departure by tuning into NASA TV, the NASA app, the agency’s official website and also its YouTube channel. Axiom Space will also air the launch live on their website and social media handles. NASA has said that it will keep monitoring the weather ahead of the Ax-1 team’s return to ensure a safe landing and recovery of the Dragon capsule. “If needed for any reason, there are additional opportunities for the crew’s departure from the space station on Tuesday, April 19 and Wednesday, April 20”.

First-ever commercial mission to the ISS nears its end

With the successful arrival of the Ax-1 crew, Axiom Space will conclude the first-ever all commercial mission to the ISS. This mission was executed under NASA's deal with Axiom which was closed in January last year. The crew consisted of four members- Larry Connor, a real estate and tech entrepreneur from Dayton, Ohio, Canadian financier Mark Pathy and Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe along with former NASA astronaut and Axiom VP Michael Lopez-Alegria. Each of the crew members performed several science experiments during their stay and reportedly paid $55 million for their space trip. 

Now that the mission is nearing its end, Axiom Space will now focus on its second spaceflight after NASA accepted the proposal in December 2021. According to NASA, the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) is targeted to launch between fall 2022 and late spring 2023.

Image: Twitter/@CommanderMLA