SpaceX and NASA launched the CRS-32 mission early Monday morning from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. After an apparently event-free countdown, liftoff was at 04:15:34 AM ET. About 7.5 minutes after liftoff, the booster used for the flight returned to land at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX and NASA launched the CRS-32 mission early Monday morning from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. After an apparently event-free countdown, liftoff was at 04:15:34 AM ET. About 7.5 minutes after liftoff, the booster used for the flight returned to land at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Shortly after reaching its initial orbit Cargo Dragon successfully separated from its launch vehicle and is now targeted to dock at the International Space Station on Tuesday, April 22, around 8:20 AM. ET.
According to NASA, slightly less than 6,700 pounds of cargo have been sent to ISS-NL. Hardware, supplies and science make up the bulk of the payload sent on it way earlier today.
Spectators and Space Coast residents won’t have to wait long for the next launch and also the next RTLS (Return To Launch Site) mission: tonight (Monday, April 21) SpaceX is planning to launch the Bandwagon 3 mission from Cape Canaveral.
| Mission | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Bandwagon-3 |
|---|---|
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 40 |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Monday, 04/21/2025 8:43:00 PM EDT |
| Window Closes | Monday, 04/21/2025 9:23:00 PM EDT |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Mission Description | Dedicated rideshare flight to a mid-inclination orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers. The mission includes payloads such as the PHOENIX re-entry capsule, 425Sat-3, and Tomorrow-S7. The Falcon 9 first stage booster B1090 will be making its third flight and is scheduled to land back at Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A sonic boom is likely to occur a few minutes after launch as the booster returns to the launch site. Be prepared for a loud but thrilling experience! |
Overnight tonight, SpaceX and NASA will launch Falcon 9 with a Cargo Dragon bound for the International Space Station. Along with the foodstuffs and normal cargo aboard CRS-32, there are also some thirty experiments that astronauts will conduct aboard the ISS-NL orbiting outpost. One of them will test Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.
NASA and SpaceX are set to launch the 32nd Commercial Resupply mission to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center on Monday. Launch time is set for 04:15:34 AM Monday morning in an instantaneous window.
The flight Falcon 9’s first stage will land a few miles south at Landing Zone 1 in Cape Canaveral about 7-8 minutes after liftoff. That being said, a sonic boom will rattle the Space Coast area not long after the rumble of the liftoff fades.
This mission marks the 12th under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract with SpaceX.
| Mission | SpaceX CRS-32 |
|---|---|
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Location | Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Pad | Launch Complex 39A |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Monday, 04/21/2025 4:15:34 AM EDT |
| Window Closes | Monday, 04/21/2025 4:15:34 AM EDT |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Mission Description | The 32nd Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. This flight, conducted under NASA’s CRS-2 contract, will deliver approximately 6,700 pounds of supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support science and research investigations onboard the orbiting laboratory. Notable experiments include studies on nanomaterial production, drug manufacturing advancements, and novel materials for aerospace, defense, energy, and robotics. The Cargo Dragon spacecraft, C209, is scheduled to autonomously dock to the station’s Harmony module and remain for about one month before returning to Earth with research and hardware for analysis. |
Weather forecasts for Cape Canaveral on Monday indicate mostly cloudy conditions with a high of 81°F (27°C) and a low of 68°F (20°C). These conditions are generally favorable for a successful launch.
Jimmy Taeger, a Launch Weather Officer of the 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45 said today that “Weather is looking really good for early next week. There’s a small chance of a cumulus cloud rule violation.”
“[That chance is] only about 10% for the primary launch day and the backup day, but that means 90% chance that the weather could be good,” Taeger concluded.
Online Viewing
NASA_ will have a livestream of the launch on their website and on YouTube: CRS-32 Launch. Coverage starts about fifteen minutes before liftoff.
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.
Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.
Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.
The best options for watching the launch: Northern Titusville parks on Washington Avenue / US-1 are your best bets: Space View Park, Sands Park, Rotary Riverfront Park.
The best options for watching the landing: beaches Cherie Down Park or 528W at the Banana River Bridge.
Axiom Space has released new information about the scientific and technological goals for its upcoming Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for launch no earlier than May 2025.
Commanded by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson (U.S.), the Ax-4 crew includes pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (ESA/Poland), and mission specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungary). The team will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule from the Eastern Range no earlier than late May.
The mission will carry roughly 60 science and research payloads involving partners from 31 countries — including the U.S., India, Hungary, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and others across Europe. This marks the most research-driven mission Axiom has led to date, reinforcing the growing international momentum behind low-Earth orbit science and commercial space collaboration.
Much of the research on the mission will be driven by the crew members’ home countries, including experiments from India’s ISRO, Poland in partnership with the European Space Agency, Hungary’s HUNOR program, and the United States. Axiom is also collaborating with research institutions and universities to study how spaceflight affects the human body and how these insights can improve healthcare back on Earth.
![Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski [Right] have been training to live and work aboard the space station for the past eight months in preparation for their mission, which is targeted to launch no earlier than May 2025.](https://i0.wp.com/old-man-par.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/67ed572d67ee3f8a01fa865e_Ax4_Axiom_PAMIntegratedRoutineOps1_ALL_20241219_0771_Web.webp?resize=762%2C508&ssl=1)
Ax-4 is a key step in building a sustainable research and business environment in orbit — and in paving the way for Axiom Station, the company’s planned commercial space station.
Axiom has been making strides in getting their Station completed, launched and connected to ISS — a multi-pronged highly complex program. They recently demonstrated a successful detailed simulation of the capturing and attaching Axiom Station to ISS, a key milestone on the way towards launching the real thing sometime in 2027.
Axiom’s research program spans critical areas in space health and biology. Highlights include:
India’s space agency, ISRO, is running several biology and materials science experiments in partnership with NASA and ESA. Focus areas include:
With ESA support, Poland is conducting a wide-ranging scientific package focused on astronaut health, physiology, and advanced technology. Research will explore:
Hungary’s national space research initiative is contributing a diverse set of studies covering biology, physics, propulsion, and education:
Axiom Space announced today that the Ax-4 private mission to ISS will launch No Earlier Than May 2025. No specific launch date was given, and will be announced in the future as the launch draws closer. Commanded by veteran former NASA astronaut and current Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight Peggy Whitson, the crew of four will fly to ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
The crew is scheduled to spend up to 14 days aboard the ISS, engaging in a variety of scientific research, outreach initiatives, and commercial activities.
In addition to Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, an officer in the Indian Air Force and astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists include Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a project astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) representing Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Notably, this mission marks the first time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary will visit the ISS, representing each nation’s first government-sponsored human spaceflight in over 40 years.
Ax-4 will be a busy mission, as it is slated to conduct approximately 60 scientific experiments and activities involving participants from 31 nations, such as the United States, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, and various European countries. This marks the highest number of research initiatives undertaken on an Axiom Space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) thus far, highlighting the mission’s global importance and collaborative spirit in advancing microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
The mission places a particular emphasis on scientific endeavors led by the countries represented in the Ax-4 crew, including the United States, India, Poland (in collaboration with the European Space Agency), and Hungary. The research conducted will enhance global understanding in areas such as human health, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, reflecting the space research capabilities of the crew’s home countries.
Axiom Space is also collaborating with research organizations and academic institutions to further investigate the effects of spaceflight on the human body and to explore how space-based research can lead to improvements in health and medical treatments on Earth. The mission underscores the significance of commercial and academic partnerships, as Axiom Space spearheads the development of a global research community and a sustainable economic ecosystem in LEO. The mission also sets the stage for Axiom Station, the first commercial space station, which will provide a permanent platform for research, manufacturing, and human spaceflight.
The Fram2 privately crewed mission lifted off from Kennedy Space Center right on time at 9:46 PM ET yesterday. The launch came despite lightning threats in the Space Coast area, with visible strokes in storms south of the launch pad from a passing storm that dumped some much needed rain on the region.
The launch was successful and is SpaceX’s 37th mission out of year so far, out of 91 days since the calendars flipped into 2025. That’s a launch every 2.46 days, putting the company on a 147 launch pace for the year.
Around 8.2 minutes after liftoff, Booster B1085 completed its sixth mission when it touched down on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’, which was stationed offshore in the Atlantic to await the booster.
Now in orbit, Fram2’s crew will begin their suite of experiments, observations and photo/filmmaking. Their return is anticipated to occur in three days.
Saturday evening, SpaceX will return to launching Starlink satellites.
| Organization | SpaceX |
|---|---|
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 40 |
| Status | To Be Confirmed |
| Status Info | Awaiting official confirmation – current date is known with some certainty. |
| Window Opens | Saturday, 04/05/2025 10:40:00 PM |
| Window Closes | Sunday, 04/06/2025 3:11:00 AM |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Mission Description | A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system. |
SpaceX is set to launch the privately-crewed Fram2 mission aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon this evening from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff is scheduled for 9:46 PM ET, with subsequent launch windows at 11:20 PM ET, followed by 12:53 AM and 2:26 AM on Tuesday, April 1st.
The mission draws its name from the polar exploration ship Fram, which served Norwegian explorers such as Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912. Fram became well-known for its polar expeditions, and now resides in a museum in Oslo. While Fram navigated icy waters of Eart’s polar regions, Fram2 will explore those same areas from a polar orbit.
Mission Commander Chun Wang, a Maltese citizen, will lead a diverse crew that includes filmmaker and artist Norway’s Jannicke Mikkelsen as the vehicle commander, Australia’s Eric Philips as the vehicle pilot, and Germany’s Rabea Rogge as a mission specialist.
This will be the crew’s first trip to space.
The trajectory of Fram2 presents a unique challenge and opportunity. Unlike standard launches, this mission will employ a polar trajectory heading southward nearly 90 degrees from its launch site. This has never been done before on a crewed mission, but the trajectory will allow passes over each pole every orbit.
As the spacecraft ascends, it will skirt along Florida’s east coast before crossing the Straits of Florida and flying over Cuba. The trajectory will offer dramatic views as Fram2 passes overhead of the Palm Beach area in south Florida before easing farther offshore. For residents of that region, tonight’s flight will offer them the closest view of a Falcon 9 ascending as they have ever seen.
The 45th Weather Squadron has not published any Launch Mission Execution Forecast for the mission this evening.
The National Weather Service’s general forecast for Kennedy Space Center is calling for a 30% chance of storms in the area this evening. They continue that the storms are expected to taper off after 9PM, good news for a planned 9:26 PM liftoff so long as the timing of the storms diminishes on time and before final launch preparations begin.
Fram2’s mission objectives include investigating “unusual light emissions resembling auroras.” The crew will specifically focus on green fragments and mauve ribbons of light, phenomena that echo the characteristics of STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), previously noted at altitudes of approximately 400 to 500 kilometers above Earth. This study could provide new insights into atmospheric physics, potentially shining light on phenomena that have puzzled scientists for years.
The Fram2 crew will undertake studies to gain more knowledge of the causes and effects of Space Motion Sickness (SMS), which affects roughly 60% to 80% of astronauts within the first few days of their exposure to microgravity.
Its symptoms mirror those of traditional motion sickness—nausea, vomiting, fatigue, general discomfort, and a loss of appetite. SMS is considered part of Space Adaptation Syndrome (SAS), a broader condition that also includes headaches, back pain, and facial congestion due to fluid redistribution toward the head.
Fram2’s astronauts will also continue the work started by researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Those researchers are seeking a deeper understanding of the effects on the human body of short-term spaceflights, and the Fram2 crew will undergo before and after MRI tests in order to provide data to that end.
All four Fram2 passengers will undergo the same MRI scans that the Polaris Dawn crew did. This research aims to expand scientists’ understanding of how stints in microgravity, which is known to shift fluids in the brain, affect astronauts.
Additionally, the Fram2 astronauts will study blood flow, bone health, glucose regulation, cognition and other effects and procedures of spaceflight. The official list of experiments is below:
SpaceX is planning to launch another group of Starlink satellites from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today, weather permitting. The launch window opens at 3:16 PM ET and extends to 7:45 PM early this evening. According to SpaceX, if the mission does not launch today, then “If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Monday, March 31 starting at 2:57 p.m. ET.”
Booster B1080 will power the rocket off of the pad, and will be flying its 17th mission. B1080 has previously flown Ax-2, Euclid, Ax-3, CRS-30, SES ASTRA 1P, NG-21, and 10 Starlink missions. After stage separation, it will land on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ located offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.
There is no forecast available from the 45th Weather Squadron for today’s launch at the time of this writing. The National Weather Service general forecast calls for a 50% chance of showers through the forecast period with light winds, so 50/50 sounds like a good guess.
Since those storms may carry electrical activity and/or potential, the lightning, anvil cloud, heavy cloud cover and other launch criteria may apply, but with no official Launch Mission Execution Forecast available, it is impossible to say.
Southeast, towards The Bahamas.
SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: Starlink 6-80 Mission Page. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about five minutes before liftoff.
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.
Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.
Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.
The best free options are available for spectators: Northern Titusville parks on Washington Avenu / US-1 are your best bets: Space View Park, Sands Park, Rotary Riverfront Park.
Local recommendations also say the Cafe Paradiso and Ven pa’ Ca Café are excellent choices for before, after and even during launches. Grab a bite to eat, walk over to the Indian River and watch the launch.
What a long, strange trip it’s been: Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams finally concluded their never-ending story of Boeing’s Crewed Flight Test of Starliner yesterday when they landed in a SpaceX Crew Dragon in the Gulf of America near Tallahassee, Florida. Also aboard were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, with the four of them designated as Crew 9 on ISS Expedition 71/72.
After a nominal re-entry, the four landed at 5:57 p.m. EDT. Recovery teams on SpaceX vessels secured the spacecraft and assisted the crew while being circled by curious dolphins. Following their arrival on shore, the astronauts began the return procedures: extensive medical checks followed by travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for debriefings and reunions with their families.
Boeing’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission was as an 8-10 day demonstration flight for Starliner to validate its capabilities in transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. However, technical concerns, including issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, led NASA to opt for an uncrewed return of Starliner to conduct further testing and modifications before operational flights could commence.
For their part, Boeing disagreed with the decision, with the company arguing internally with NASA that Starliner was safe to ferry Williams and Williams back to Earth as planned. That was not to be, as NASA decided to fold the pair into Expedition 71/72 on ISS, and to bump two of the astronauts designated for Crew 9 — NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson — from the mission.
Starliner would eventually return to Earth uncrewed in September, 2024, safely completing its mission via remote control and on-board programming.
During their missions, Williams and Wilmore traveled 121,347,491 miles, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 Earth orbits. Hague and Gorbunov covered 72,553,920 miles, remained in orbit for 171 days, and completed 2,736 orbits. This mission marked Gorbunov’s first spaceflight. Hague has accumulated 374 days in space across two missions, Williams 608 days over three missions, and Wilmore 464 days across three flights.
Due to the unexpected long-term mission, Williams is now in second place for time spent in space by a female astronaut. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson has accumulated a total of 675 days in space across multiple missions, making her the most experienced astronaut in terms of cumulative days, a record that Whitson will add to she commands the private Axiom Ax-4 mission to ISS later this year.
Crew-9’s mission included scientific research, maintenance operations, and technology demonstrations. Williams performed two spacewalks, partnering with Wilmore and Hague to remove a radio frequency antenna, collect external surface samples, and install protective patches on an X-ray telescope’s light filters. Williams set a new record for cumulative spacewalking time by a female astronaut, logging 62 hours and 6 minutes outside the station.
The crew conducted over 150 scientific studies and technology tests, dedicating more than 900 hours to research. Their work included plant growth experiments, stem cell technology investigations for treating blood disorders and cancer, and evaluations of circadian rhythm-supporting lighting systems. They also launched the first wooden satellite and studied microorganism survival in space by analyzing external samples from the station.
The mission marked the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, previously used for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 and Axiom Missions 2 and 3. Following retrieval, the spacecraft will undergo inspections and refurbishments at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in preparation for future missions.
Crew-9’s comes shortly after the launch and docking at ISS of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10, which completed the Crew 9 rotation. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers; JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will now spend several months aboard Station, and will advance the scientific and engineering work planned for their stay.
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