NASA To Provide Live Coverage of Axiom Mission 2 ISS Departure

Space enthusiasts can soon watch Axiom Space's Mission 2 crew members leave the ISS and return to Earth.

NASA recently announced it would soon provide live coverage of the undocking and departure procedures of Axiom Space's Mission 2, with it revealing when the coverage would go live.

Axiom Space's Mission 2 previously launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, with its crew members aboard a SpaceX Freedom spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket.

Axiom Space Mission Departure Live Coverage Details

NASA mentioned in its announcement that it would provide live coverage of the undocking and departure of the crew members of the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) private mission from the ISS before they return to Earth.

The four-member multinational astronaut crew, comprised of mission pilot John Shoffner, Saudi Space Commission astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni, and mission commander Peggy Whitson, is scheduled to undock from the ISS no earlier than May 30, 11:05 AM EDT from the space-facing port of the ISS' Harmony module in the same SpaceX Dragon spacecraft they launched in.

NASA's coverage of the Ax-2 Mission's undocking and departure at 9 AM, in time for the hatch closure, scheduled for 9:10 AM EDT. Once the hatch closes, NASA will cease live coverage and will resume at 10:45 AM EDT for the Dragon spacecraft's undocking, which is scheduled for 11:05 AM.

NASA mentioned that those who wish to watch its coverage should keep in mind that coverage time could change based on operations.

After undocking, NASA expects the Dragon spacecraft the Ax-2 crew members to return to Earth and make a splashdown off the coast of Florida. They won't be the only ones returning to Earth, though - they also come with more than 300 pounds of cargo, which includes NASA hardware and data from over 20 experiments.

Unfortunately, NASA won't be covering the Ax-2's re-entry and splashdown off the coast of Florida. The space agency will end its coverage approximately 30 mins. after when space station joint operations end with the Axiom Space and SpaceX mission teams.

Space enthusiasts who wish to watch Ax-2's re-entry and splashdown could do so on Axiom Space's official website.

Ax-2 Mission Details

Axiom Space's Ax-2 Mission is, as the name suggests, the company's second all-private astronaut mission to the ISS to "implement a full manifest of science, outreach, and commercial activities" aboard the space station, per Axiom Space.

During their stay in the ISS, Whitson, Shoffner, Barnawi, and AlQarni conducted more than 20 different experiments that involve researching stem cells, DNA-based nanomaterials, and cancer countermeasures.

They also tested a wearable skinsuit that simulates Earth's gravity to counteract the effects of microgravity on the human body.

Aside from that, the crew members also busied themselves in outreach programs: Soffner used his time in the ISS to announce the winners of a Crayola-sponsored art and poetry contest that was open to children from around the world.

AlQarni and Barnawi, meanwhile, interacted with students in Saudi Arabia with the goal of inspiring an interest in STEM education.