Watch Ax-2 astronauts splash down in SpaceX Dragon tonight

Space enthusiasts can watch the latest SpaceX Dragon splashdown event tonight as the Ax-2 astronauts return to Earth. After spending a whole week in space, the four amateur astronauts are scheduled to land off the coast of Florida around 7:06 PM ET. The SpaceX Dragon capsule, named Resilience, carried the crew to the highest point made by any private citizen’s mission in space. The Ax-2 crew, consisting of Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor, and Chris Sembroski, launched on September 15th for the historic Inspiration4 mission. Isaacman, the founder of Shift4 Payments, funded the mission as part of his goal to promote space tourism and raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Apart from raising funds for charity causes, the mission also signaled a historic moment for private companies entering space exploration, pushing the limits on the potential for future missions. As the first all-civilian mission to cross into Earth orbit, and the longest ever private mission in space, the Inspiration4 mission marks a pivotal moment in the history of space exploration. With diverse teams of individuals now gaining access to space travel, it opens up new opportunities for the future of human spaceflight, especially as private companies like SpaceX continue to pioneer new missions. Therefore, tonight’s splashdown event is a significant moment for space and for the potential of inspired individuals to explore beyond our planet.