Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy, American businessman Larry Connor and former Israeli Air Force pilot Eytan Stibbe each reportedly raised $ 55 million for the 10-day experience. The trio will head into space with the mission’s commander and former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría. Falcon 9 and Dragon vertical at 39A. targeting Friday, April 8 for the launch of Ax-1 → pic.twitter.com/NSJqo3FBb4 – SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 6, 2022 Organized by Texas-based Axiom Space and using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and a Crew Dragon capsule, the Ax-1 mission will take off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida late Friday morning, April 8th. For each rocket launch, weather characteristics such as wind, rain, cloud, humidity and temperature must be carefully monitored. Any measurements outside of NASA’s acceptable launch range will see the mission postponed until conditions improve. The good news is that as of Wednesday, the weather for Friday’s release looks pretty good. With minimal chance of rain and acceptable wind speeds being expected, the mission has an 80% chance of starting on time (except for any last minute hiccups), with the main concern being the possible appearance of a thick layer of cloud in the area. The connection to the ISS is expected to take place on Saturday morning, followed by a welcoming ceremony where the new arrivals will meet for the first time the current ISS crew of seven astronauts. While living in the outpost orbiting 250 miles above the Earth, the four visitors will conduct various scientific experiments, screenings and commercial activities. To learn more about how astronauts live and work on the ISS, take a look at these insightful videos created by crew members over the years. Also, if you are interested in watching a live stream of traffic, as well as connecting to the ISS and the next morning welcome event, Digital Trends covers you.
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