SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket on May 21, which will carry the Ax-2 mission to the ISS. The crew consists of four people: American astronauts Peggy Whitson (crew commander) and John Schoffner, as well as the Saudis Ali al-Karni and Ryan Barnavi.
Rayana Barnavi, 34, will be the first woman from Saudi Arabia to fly into space. She is a biomedical specialist. As part of the Ax-2 mission, Barnavi will focus on research related to stem cells and breast cancer.
The launch was carried out from the launch complex at the NASA Space Center in Florida, the first stage of the Falcon 9 landed at Cape Canaveral. The crewed Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS on May 22 at 9:16 am ET (4:16 pm Moscow time).
During their stay at the station, the crew will conduct more than 20 scientific and technological experiments in such areas as human physiology, physics, and engineering.