SpaceX on Monday successfully launched its second private mission to the International Space Station (ISS) by Axiom Space. The crew, which includes Saudi Arabia's first astronauts in decades, lifted off from Launch complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The passengers also includes a Tennessee businessman who started his own sports car racing team. According to sources, they'll be led by a retired NASA astronaut who now works for the company that arranged the 10-day trip.
It's the second charter flight organized by Houston-based Axiom Space. The company would not say how much the latest tickets cost; it previously cited per-seat prices of $55 million.
With its Falcon rocket already on the pad, SpaceX targeted a liftoff late Sunday afternoon from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It's the same spot where Saudi Arabia's first astronaut, a prince, soared in 1985.
Representing the Saudi Arabian government this time are Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher set to become the kingdom's first woman in space, and Royal Saudi Air Force fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni. Rounding out the crew: John Shoffner, the racecar buff; and Peggy Whitson, who holds the U.S. record for most accumulated time in space at 665 days.
(With inputs from PTI)
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