Dragon launches, carrying four private citizens to the space station [Updated]

Enlarge / A Falcon 9 rocket launches on Friday carrying four private citizens to the International Space Station. (credit: Trevor Mahlmann)

11:45 am ET Friday update: Right on schedule, beneath bright blue skies in Florida, the Axiom-1 mission successfully launched into orbit on Friday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. At 12 minutes into the flight, the Dragon spacecraft Endeavour separated from the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage and began its in-space journey toward the International Space Station. It is expected to dock with the station on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage returned to Earth and made a safe landing on a drone ship after its fifth spaceflight.

Overall, this was SpaceX's sixth human spaceflight with the Crew Dragon vehicle. The company has transported 22 people into low Earth orbit across those missions in just under two years. To illustrate the rapidity of Dragon's rise, consider that China, widely regarded as having the second-most capable civil space program in the world, has launched 20 astronauts since 2003.

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