LIVE: SpaceX Crew Dragon Axiom Mission 2 docks with ISS, welcome ceremony

“Yo, have you heard about the SpaceX Crew Dragon Axiom Mission 2 docking with the ISS? It’s like sci-fi becoming science fact, man. This article I read about it was insane.”

So basically, SpaceX launched their Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 23rd (which is already amazing in itself), and it docked with the International Space Station over the weekend. The crew on board consisted of four people: two NASA astronauts and two private citizens, all of whom will be staying on the ISS for about a week before returning to Earth.

What’s really interesting is that this mission is the first ever all-civilian crew to launch into space, and it’s the brainchild of billionaire Jared Isaacman, who’s funding the whole thing. Apparently, they’re also using this as an opportunity to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is a super cool way to combine space exploration and charitable donations.

Anyway, the article also mentioned that there was a welcome ceremony for the crew once they arrived at the ISS, which I can only imagine was like a really intense version of one of those airport welcome signs. “Welcome to the ISS, Jared and friends!”

All joking aside, I think it’s pretty awesome that private citizens are able to participate in space missions like this, and I’m curious to see how this trend continues to develop. Plus, it’s exciting to think about how our ability to explore space is constantly expanding and evolving. Who knows where we’ll be in 50 years?”