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Mission trips have gained immense popularity over the years, attracting individuals and groups with a shared desire to make a positive difference in the world. But what exactly do mission trips do, and why are they so impactful? In this blog post, we’ll explore the profound impact of mission trips, their purpose, and the meaningful experiences they offer.

The Impact of Mission Trips

• Transforming Lives: Mission trips have the power to transform the lives of both participants and those they serve. Participants often return with a deeper sense of purpose, greater empathy, and an expanded worldview.
• Community Development: Mission trips contribute to community development by providing essential resources such as clean water, healthcare, education, and housing. These projects can uplift entire communities, improving their quality of life.
• Spiritual Growth: Many participants experience significant spiritual growth during mission trips. These experiences often lead to stronger faith, deeper relationships with God, and a renewed commitment to living out their beliefs.

The Purpose of Mission Trips

• Spreading the Gospel: A primary purpose of mission trips is to share the message of Christ. Participants aim to bring hope and salvation to those who may not have had the opportunity to hear the gospel otherwise.
• Humanitarian Aid: Mission trips often involve providing humanitarian aid such as food, medical care, and disaster relief. This practical assistance addresses urgent needs and shows God’s love in action.
• Building Relationships: Mission trips foster relationships, both among participants and with the communities served. These connections can lead to ongoing support and partnerships, furthering the mission’s impact.

Meaningful Experiences on Mission Trips

• Cultural Exchange: Mission trips provide a unique opportunity for cultural exchange. Participants learn about different customs, languages, and traditions, promoting mutual understanding and appreciation.
• Personal Growth: Mission trips push participants out of their comfort zones, leading to personal growth. Skills such as adaptability, teamwork, and problem-solving are honed, enhancing one’s self-confidence.
• Lasting Memories: The memories created during mission trips often last a lifetime. The shared experiences, challenges overcome, and lives touched create a treasure trove of meaningful moments.

In summary, mission trips have a profound impact on participants, communities, and the world at large. They serve the dual purpose of spreading the gospel and providing humanitarian aid, all while offering meaningful experiences and opportunities for personal growth. If you’re considering joining or supporting a mission trip, remember to make the most of this life-changing experience.

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What is a Mission Trip and Why You Should Go On One

You may have heard about mission trips from your church, school, or social circles and are curious to learn more. Mission trips are impactful and life-changing experiences that involve helping others while exploring your faith. This article will teach you what you need to know about mission trips, possible reasons to go on one, and how to connect with an organization or trip leader. 

What is a Mission Trip?

There are two main types of mission trips: religious and non-religious. In both options, participants undergo deep self-exploration, make a positive impact, and learn about other communities while completing volunteer work. 

However, Christian mission trips, which will be the focus of this article, always involve a component of faith. 

Christian Mission Trip Overview

Christian mission trips are opportunities for Christians to serve the world around them through community outreach. Churches or religious organizations typically arrange them. 

All sorts of people go on Christian mission trips; high school students, college students, retirees, seniors, and everyone in between. Some trips are designed for a specific age group or skill set, so check with your church or religious organization about which trips are most suitable. For example, there are youth mission trips for younger kids or medical mission trips for nurses and doctors. 

What Do You Do on a Mission Trip?

During the mission trip, participants will connect with the local communities, helping them, learning from them, and sharing their experiences with Christ. 

Your exact role will vary depending on the type of mission. Usually, mission trips focus on one type of community project, such as teaching English, painting churches, helping with natural disaster recovery, building homes or medical clinics, or providing other services needed in the area. 

The community service component is complemented by prayer, religious discussions, and other faith-based activities. More examples of Christian mission trips include church planting and Bible education, also known as Vacation Bible School (VBS).

Usually, Christian mission trips have a set daily schedule. Your day will involve service, prayer sessions, activities with local people, reflection, and entertainment, often organized by the group or congregation running the trip.

Length and Destination

Missions vary in length and location. Short-term mission trips can be around one week to one month, while long-term assignments can last up to 2 years or more. 

Trips arranged by church groups or Christian university organizations typically lean more toward the short-term end. However, if you’re looking to spend more time away, you can check out other mission trip providers and organizations, which we will review later on.

Additionally, trips take place both near and far. For example, many Christian mission trips go abroad to developing countries, like parts of Africa, South America, and Asia. However, you can also choose a closer destination, like an inner city near you. Get in contact with your church or Christian college to see what destinations and types of projects are available. 

Reasons to Go on a Mission Trip

Mission trips are eye-opening experiences that provide personal and spiritual fulfillment, while helping communities in need. The reasons to go on a mission trip are endless and can often be very personal. The following section will name a few key motivations for embarking on a Christian mission trip. 

• Gain a New Perspective

Mission trips teach you that there’s more to the world than what you’ve previously seen. It teaches you how to put others before yourself and the true meaning of selflessness. It may even get you thinking about your higher purpose.

• Learn Valuable Skills

Whether you’re building a house, teaching English, or helping with disaster recovery, you’re going to learn new, valuable life skills. In addition, you’ll discover capabilities and things about yourself that you never knew you had!

• Get out of Your Comfort Zone

Many missions take place in foreign countries. The language, culture, food, people, and environment might be new to you. You’ll be entirely out of your comfort zone and immersed in something unfamiliar, which will help you grow.

• Cross-Cultural Exchange 

Related to the previous point, an immense amount of cultural exchange will occur on mission trips abroad. You’ll make connections with people from entirely different backgrounds than yours. Experiencing culture will help you reflect on yourself, who you are, where you come from, and in which direction you want to go, all while learning something new. 

• Connect with God

A key part of Christianity is helping and serving others. Mission trips do just that and beyond. In addition to completing a service project, you will participate in faith-based activities and share your love for God. 

How Do You Go on a Mission Trip?

A good starting point is to check with your local church or university (if you’re a student). If you can’t go with either of those groups, you could ask another church in your area about their programs. Make some calls and get an idea of what options are available. You can also check out organizations that lead faith-based mission trips. 

Once you know your options, consider what type of trip best suits your needs, timeline, and preferences. Ask yourself what type of project you are looking for, where you want to go, who you want to serve with, and when and for how long you’re able to go. Then, choose the program that most closely matches your answers. 

Make the Most out of Your Trip

A mission trip is your chance to make tangible and intangible differences in communities that need your help. So go on a mission trip with your whole heart. Challenge yourself, serve others, try something new, and give, give, give! 

You’ll feel greatly satisfied knowing your positive impact on another person’s life. Then, reflect on your mission trip experience and talk about it with others back at home.

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What Is A Mission Trip?

• Resource Library What Is A Mission Trip?

For a lot of believers, the call to mission doesn’t involve a lifetime commitment to moving overseas. It doesn’t mean packing up one’s family and possessions. And it doesn’t mean quitting a job or ministry at home. For them, it means mission trips. Many Christians fulfill their commitment to the Great Commission through short-term experiences . While it might not include extensive language or cultural training, if God has called you to short-term missions, you still need to know what to expect. You need an answer to the question, “What is a mission trip?”

Mission Trip Starters

Even though short-term mission trips are different from career opportunities, it’s still important to do some homework ahead of time. That’s the best way to find answers to “What is a mission trip?” As you prepare, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Bathe everything in prayer. No mission endeavor makes much of a difference in God’s kingdom without prayer. That’s because prayer is the channel for God’s power as He works in the world. So, spend time praying for yourself, so you’ll have the wisdom to know which direction to take.   
• At the same time, pray for the people you will be working with on the field so they will feel encouraged and empowered in their ministry. Finally, pray for those who need to hear the gospel. Whatever mission field God has for you, start the preparation process with prayer—and continue to pray every step of the way.  
• Find your fit. When you think about “What is a mission trip?” you need to understand that you’ve never had more options than you do today—even for a short-term trip. For example, you may be a medical professional interested in pursuing medical missions . If so, you can learn more about the possibilities by attending an event like the Global Health Missions Conference . This will give you a chance to connect with like-minded people, find out more about sending agencies , and build networks that will equip you down the road.

But even if medical missions aren’t your sweet spot, you can still dig into opportunities like construction, sports ministry, disaster relief, marketplace missions, or education. And, of course, you can see what’s available for more traditional trips that focus on activities like evangelism and church planting. 

You also can talk to friends and mentors, asking them how they see God at work in your life. Once you have done some research and finished some self-evaluation, you’ll be ready to take the next step in finding your answer to “What is a mission trip?”

What Will You Be Doing?

One of the best ways to figure out what a mission trip is—or, at least, what it could be for you—is to understand what missionaries do. Aside from the distinctions we see in location, duration, and methodology, Christian missionaries share some common characteristics . As a result, mission trips also have some basic things in common.

We’ve listed five distinguishing characteristics of a mission trip. This list isn’t exhaustive. God may show you other things to consider as you prepare for His work in your life. But these will provide some great filters to help you move forward and discover an answer to “ What is a mission trip?”

1. A mission trip fulfills the Great Commission . Regardless of what else you get from this article, you need to understand that a mission trip is only a mission trip if it fulfills the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Jesus gave His disciples a command to share the gospel around the world, and missionaries play a major role in making that happen. So, if you’re wondering, “What is a mission trip,” start with the gospel. 

2. A mission trip requires you to depend on God. All Christians are called to lean into God for every experience in their lives. Mission trips challenge you to trust God in ways that can only happen outside your comfort zone. Both as you prepare and as you do the work on the field, you will need to hear from Him and follow His direction. You will certainly face unfamiliar circumstances. But it’s all part of His design for teaching you to depend on Him more fully.

3. A mission trip allows you to partner with other believers on the field. The best mission trips give you the chance to work side by side with career missionaries or local Christians in their context. You get to see what they do every day, and you get a better understanding of their joys and struggles. Again, that’s something that really can’t happen unless you’re there to see it with your own eyes. 

4. A mission trip gives you a chance to experience a new culture . Admittedly, this may be one of the more exciting aspects of a short-term mission trip. Getting a chance to leave home—even for a few days—and see things you’ve never seen can be incredible. But most believers who seek an answer to “What is a mission trip?” walk away understanding that experiencing new cultures involves more than eating different foods and seeing famous landmarks. Being exposed to another part of God’s creation—and how faith is practiced away from home—can help you become less arrogant and egocentric. You make a connection with another realm of God’s kingdom, and that’s important.

5. A mission trip teaches you to see the world differently . When we talk about the “church,” we’re often speaking of the brick-and-mortar building where we meet with other believers regularly. But when God sees the church, He’s thinking of something much larger. He’s looking at the “big picture,” the universal church spread out across both geography and time. Knowing what a mission trip is and participating in such an adventure develops that “big picture” mentality in your life. What’s more, you recognize that while you hope that God has used you to make a difference in the lives of others, they have made a difference in your life at the same time.

Take The Chance

Since you’re reading this blog, it’s reasonable to believe that you have an interest in finding out how God wants you to respond to the question, “What is a mission trip?” You believe He is working in your heart and life, and you want to follow Him in whatever direction He leads.

That’s great! Again, keep praying about it and keep seeking His plan. Mission trips are not always easy. They require a lot of commitment and a lot of flexibility. But they can also transform your life in powerful ways. Take the chance as God leads you. Let Him teach you what a mission is all about by participating firsthand.

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Mission Trip Planning Toolkit

Whether you’re getting ready for your first mission trip, or you’ve participated in many trips, it’s important to be prepared. This toolkit guides you through the mission trip planning process and equips you with tools to use on your trip and after you come home. Resources include travel tips, devotions, fundraising advice, cultural awareness training, and more.

Looking for help with mission trip planning during the pandemic?

Preparing your team, mission trip planning checklist.

Use this checklist to stay on schedule while planning your mission trip.

Read this section

Meetings you should have before your mission trip.

Six pre-trip meetings your team should have and a suggested agenda for each one.

Mission Trip Team Building Activities

Building strong relationships with the people on your mission trip team is an important part of trip preparation. Here are some ideas for building trust.

Mission Trip Skills Survey Template [Download]

This editable skills survey template can help you get a sense of the gifts and abilities your mission trip team has so that you know the ways you’re equipped to serve together.

Download the survey template

Connecting mission with faith, spiritual preparation for your mission trip.

Here are some steps you can take as a team to prepare spiritually for your mission experience.

Devotions and Bible Study Suggestions

Mission trip devotions (including a set you can read on Faithward for free ) and suggestions for group and personal devotional time during your mission trip.

Mission Trip Prayer Journal [Downloadable Template]

Download and print prayer booklets for your mission trip team to use for prayer, reflection, and devotions during your mission trip.

Download for free

How to foster lasting spiritual growth.

Advice for cultivating spiritual growth on your mission trip that impacts people’s faith after they come home.

Fundraising and budgeting

Mission trip fundraising ideas.

Creative ideas to help you and your team raise support for your mission trip.

How to Write a Mission Trip Fundraising Letter

This step-by-step guide shows you how to write a fundraising letter from start to finish and includes a sample letter.

Making Your Mission Trip Budget

A breakdown of costs you may need to account for in your mission trip budget.

Travel and culture

How to prepare for cross-cultural experiences.

Strategies, resources, and activities to help you and your team increase your cultural awareness and agility before your trip.

How to be a Good Guest on Short-term Mission Trips

Follow these tips to be a hospitable guest to the community hosting you.

Travel Safety and Packing Tips

Guidance on what you should pack and how to travel safely for trips within North America and internationally.

Church participation

How to involve your church in your trip.

Your church may not all be on your trip with you, but there are ways that members can participate.

Coming home from your trip

Mission trip team debriefing guide.

How to process your mission trip during the trip, at the end of the trip, and after you come home.

How to Share Your Mission Trip Experience

Suggestions for sharing your mission trip experience with your church, friends, and family.

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Mission Trips

Looking for short-term mission trips with everything organized for you? Every year, International Volunteer HQ supports more than 15,000 people to volunteer abroad on mission trips in 40+ countries around the world. Since 2007, IVHQ has helped more than 137,000 volunteers complete mission trips to Africa , Asia , Europe , South America , Central America , North America , the Caribbean , Middle East , and the Pacific .

IVHQ offers safe, social and fully-supported mission trips for teens , college students , families and individuals at any stage of life, as well as for those seeking summer mission trips and medical mission trips . With long-term and short-term mission trips starting at just $20/day including accommodation, meals and 24/7 in-country support, IVHQ is the world’s leading mission trip organization.

IVHQ offers both short-term and long-term mission trips with durations ranging from 1 to 24 weeks. Through IVHQ, you can choose from a diverse range of volunteer projects to support, inclduing: childcare volunteering , wildlife conservation , environmental conservation , medical volunteering , teaching abroad , and much more. These international volunteer opportunities enable you to support locally-driven projects that uplift under-resourced communities around the world.

If you’re looking to join a mission trip in 2024 or 2025, we’ve outlined IVHQ’s most popular types of mission trips and all the information you need to know to find your perfect mission.

What is a mission trip?

A mission trip is an international volunteering opportunity centered around collaborative efforts with local communities to provide essential support where it is most needed. These trips can be either religious or non-religious in nature, aiming to uplift individuals, local communities, and natural environments across the globe. IVHQ offers inclusive volunteer abroad programs that welcome participants of all ages and life stages.

Through IVHQ’s diverse range of mission trips , individuals can make a tangible impact while fostering new friendships, discovering diverse cultures, and broadening their horizons—all while contributing to the well-being of those who require assistance the most.

Why do people go on mission trips?

Mission trips are a popular way to combine your desire to travel and see with world with your motivation to give back and make a difference in the world. While some people see mission trips as an opportunity to put their faith into action, others go on mission trips for a variety of non-religious reasons, including:

To make a difference: Many people go on mission trips make a positive impact in the world through providing support to communities in a range of different ways. This could involve volunteering to teach English , building schools or homes , providing medical care , volunteering with animals or supporting environmental conservation .

To gain a new perspective: Traveling to a new country and immersing yourself in a different culture can be a life-changing and transformative experience. Mission trips allow you to see the world with fresh eyes and gain a better understanding of different cultures and ways of life.

To meet new people: Mission trips offer an opportunity to connect with people from all around the world. International volunteers work together towards a common goal, often forming life-long friendships and connections along the way.

To get out of your comfort zone : Mission trips are an opportunity to discover a new sense of purpose by stepping out of your comfort zone, discovering new countries and cultures, and living like the locals. This can be equally challenging and rewarding! Taking a mission trip is an opportunity to growth as person, discover your strengths and weaknesses and redefine your purpose in life.

While people go on mission trips for a variety of reasons, at the heart of it is a desire to make a positive impact on the world, connect with others and build a better future together.

I recently returned from a mission trip to Sri Lanka and it was everything I dreamt it would be. I lived with a family in the jungle next to the longest river in the country, volunteering in a disabled childcare center. I was so happy with the project and had a wonderful - and sometimes challenging - experience. I would recommend this mission trip to anyone who wants to travel alone.

How much does it cost to go on a mission trip?

The cost of going on a mission trip varies depending on the destination and duration of the trip. IVHQ makes mission trips accessible to volunteers worldwide through affordable volunteer program fees and flexible durations.

For example, the cost of a 2-week mission trip with IVHQ to Tanzania is US$415, while a 4-week trip to India is US$585. These costs cover accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, and in-country support from IVHQ’s local team.

Additional costs that volunteers need to consider include the IVHQ registration fee , airfares, travel insurance, and any necessary visas or vaccinations. However, IVHQ provides detailed information and support to help volunteers prepare for their mission trip and manage these additional costs.

It’s worth noting that IVHQ also offers a range of fundraising ideas and resources to help volunteers cover the costs of their trip. For example, volunteers can create a fundraising page via IVHQ’s fundraising partner and share it with friends and family to collect donations.

IVHQ’s fees are transparent and inclusive, making it easy for volunteers to plan and budget for their trip without breaking the bank.

Why do a mission trip with IVHQ?

If you’re looking to join a mission trip, you likely have a social or environmental cause in mind that you’d like to contribute to. Just as you place importance on the program you join, it’s equally as important to choose a responsible mission trip organization.

At IVHQ, we believe that mission trips should contribute positively towards society. Environmental and social impact has always been at the heart of what we do, which is why we’ve undergone rigorous assessment to become a Certified B Corporation , holding us to the highest ethical standards. We’re also the first and only global volunteer travel provider to declare a Climate Emergency and our operations are certified as 100% carbon neutral.

With a B Corp stamp of approval , Program Fees starting at just $20/day including accommodation, and more than 16 years of experience , IVHQ is proud to be the mission trip organization of choice for thousands of individuals and groups looking to take a meaningful mission trip in 2024 & 2025.

Best mission trip opportunities across the globe

IVHQ offers a range of meaningful volunteer programs in Tanzania, Zambia, Victoria Falls, Madagascar, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, Zanzibar and Namibia. Explore Africa’s beauty while conserving endangered wildlife or giving back to local communities in need.

Available in 11 countries

IVHQ offers volunteer programs in 15 incredible destinations across Asia, including Bali, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Discover new cultures and play a hands-on role in supporting local social and environmental projects.

North America

Join a volunteer program in Mexico or the USA and choose from a range of meaningful projects, from Childcare and Teaching to Animal Care and Environmental Sustainability. IVHQ’s North American volunteer opportunities are based in New Orleans, or in Merida, Mexico.

Available in 2 countries

Central America

Based in the popular destinations of Costa Rica and Guatemala, IVHQ offers a range of impactful volunteer programs in Central America. Support community initiatives, work alongside locals and embrace unique cultural traditions for up to 24 weeks.

South America

IVHQ’s volunteer trips to South America are based in iconic Latin American locations across Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. With unique opportunities in Teaching, Construction, Wildlife Conservation, Medical, Amazon Jungle Conservation, and more, there’s something to suit every volunteer!

Available in 6 countries

IVHQ’s Caribbean volunteer opportunities are based in and around the stunning islands of Jamaica, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, and Puerto Rico. Give back to the local community through Teaching, Marine Conservation, Childcare, Animal Care and other impact led volunteer projects.

Available in 4 countries

Discover Europe’s rich culture and history on a volunteer program in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Romania or Croatia. Choose from a range of meaningful projects including Wolf Conservation, Youth Support, Teaching, Childcare, Special Needs Support, Environmental Scuba Diving and more.

Middle East

Explore the Middle East on a volunteer trip to Jordan. Choose from a range of community projects such as Youth Support, Women’s Education, Teaching and more. When you’re not giving back, you can explore the Middle East’s unique culture through our exhilarating tours and add-ons.

Available in 1 country

Experience the vibrant culture and welcoming communities of the Pacific on a volunteer trip with IVHQ. Choose from a range of life-enriching programs, from preserving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and coastal waterways in New Zealand to teaching on the beautiful island of Fiji.

Available in 3 countries

Find the best mission trip for you

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Mission trips for teens & high school students

Joining a mission trip is one of the best ways to step outside of your comfort zone, gain new perspective and give back to communities in need. IVHQ offers a range of mission trips for high school students and teens , meaning you don’t need to be 18 to go abroad and make a difference.

Since 2007, IVHQ has supported thousands of young people to volunteer around the world on our youth mission trips. More than 20% of our volunteers are under 20, so we know a thing or two about providing life-changing, reliable travel experiences for young explorers.

We offer safe and affordable volunteer opportunities for teens and high school students in 17 destinations around the globe. Learn more about how to join a mission trip for under 18s .

Top mission trips for teens & high school students:

Volunteer in costa rica.

Volunteer in Guatemala

Volunteer in Tanzania

Mission trips for college students

Today’s student demographic is more progressive than ever before. That’s why student mission trips have become a popular alternative to studying abroad. Instead of studying abroad, many are opting for a more meaningful form of international travel - one that is regenerative and makes a positive impact on local communities.

IVHQ offers mission trips for college students in more than 40 countries around the world. Our mission trips to Africa are particularly popular amongst students. With fees starting at just US$20 per day, our low-cost mission trips are an affordable way for students and young professionals to discover a new country and gain a global perspective while making the world a better place.

When you go on a mission trip with IVHQ, you also have the opportunity to gain academic credit while you volunteer from as little as US$599 for 5 credits - making a super affordable alternative to studying abroad!

Top mission trips for college students:

Volunteer in peru.

Volunteer in Victoria Falls

Volunteer in Zambia

Mission trips for families

Planning a family mission trip can be a challenge, especially if you’re trying to accommodate multiple age groups. IVHQ’s fully-hosted mission trips mean that you can get away and make a difference without having to coordinate and plan for the entire family. The best part? Lots of IVHQ programs offer private room and accommodation upgrades at a very affordable price!

If you have young children, IVHQ has great options that will give you quality time together while instilling the values of service. Family mission trip opportunities are available in Africa , Asia , Europe , Central America and South America .

Our team of Volunteer Travel Experts can provide you with personalized family mission trip recommendations to match your budget and the causes you care about. Learn more about how you can go on a mission trip as a family .

Top mission trips for families:

Volunteer in kenya.

Volunteer in Portugal

Best short-term mission trips

IVHQ offers short-term mission trips for 1 to 3 weeks in over 40 countries, starting at just $20 per day including accommodation . This means you can get away and experience a new culture without needing to take ample time away from your day-to-day priorities.

Our short-term mission trips are designed for those who want to maximize impact in a short period of time and are perfect for students and professionals who are looking to take an alternative break . With everything organized for you, including airport pickup and 24/7 in-country support, you can hit the ground running as soon as you arrive at your destination. Check out our top short-term mission trips for 2024 & 2025:

Top short-term mission trips:

Volunteer in croatia.

Volunteer in Ghana

Volunteer in Mexico

Best summer mission trips

Summer is one of the most popular times of year to go on a mission trip, allowing you to immerse yourself in a new culture and interact with locals while soaking up the sunshine. With time off from work and school, it’s the perfect opportunity to see the world and make a difference alongside like-minded people.

Whether you have a desire to volunteer abroad with animals or want to find a medical volunteer program , check out these top summer mission trips for 2024 & 2025 .

Top summer mission trips:

Volunteer in puerto rico.

Volunteer in South Africa

Volunteer in Zanzibar

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What’s the Difference between Mission and Missions?

By Andrew J | Bio

Andrew was born and raised in New Zealand and has served in various ministry roles in youth ministry and missions in New Zealand and the United States. He is the founder of MiT Global that has a focus of making passionate purposeful disciples who are living on mission for Jesus. His passion is teaching and training disciples to live on mission daily to have a global impact. He loves to challenge disciples and inspire the next generation to live passionately and radically for God. He has trained numerous churches in their missions strategy. He has traveled extensively around the world teaching, leading and training disciples. He holds an undergraduate degree in Human Geography from the University of Auckland and a Masters in Christian Education and a Certificate in Leadership and Teaching from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Missions Abandoned: Re-Establishing Missions as a Priority in Our Lives and Churches and Missions in Focus: 10 Essential Conversations for Effective Sending. He is married to his beautiful bride, Jamie, and blessed with two daughters, Hannah and Ella.

There is a lot of confusion about what is “mission” and what is “missions.” The terms can be ambiguous and unclear for the local church when not clearly defined, leading to such a broad application that the adage becomes reality: “If everything is missions, nothing is missions.”[1]

When the word missions is used broadly, it can cover everything from global partnerships, short term missions, garden ministry, first impressions, local partners, short-term mission trips, and the church library to anything else that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere else in the church.

We find it helpful to make a distinction between mission and missions .

By doing so, churches can more accurately distinguish between the two, and determine how they choose to respond to each one within their own specific context. When we think of mission , we think of the all-encompassing mission of God to redeem mankind and bring healing to the land. It is reflected in the Lord’s Prayer when we ask that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Our God is a God on mission, to redeem and restore. The Church then goes about the Father’s business, seeking to redeem and restore as well.

In this sense, mission is a broad category referring to everything the church is doing that points toward the kingdom of God.

Missions , on the other hand, has been generally related to the specific work of the church and agencies in the task of reaching people for Christ by crossing cultural boundaries. It involves evangelism, baptizing, discipling, church planting at its core, even as it may also focus on the poor, the defenseless, and those suffering from injustice. Missions, then is most closely tied to the Great Commission because of the specific call to “disciple all the nations.”

Why distinguish between the two?

Simply put, we tend to focus on that which is easiest or more self-serving than other areas. Many churches use their mission’s budget to reach out in ways that are close to home and which bring a direct benefit to the local church.

Have you ever been to the gym and watched certain weightlifters workout? It is common to see guys with big arms, continually working their arms, at the expense of their lower body. Much like bodybuilders in the gym who often work their strengths instead of concentrating on developing their whole selves, the church who only focuses on that which is easiest or closest to home, is a church that is not fully developed.

By distinguishing the cross-cultural, cross-lingual, or cross-ethnic component, churches can make sure that they are looking at the global mission of God in a balanced way. In previous generations, this meant sending out missionaries beyond our borders. However, due to globalization and the tremendous effects of immigration, missions can and should be done within our own borders as well.

Our encouragement is to be deliberate and to be clear and educate your churches on what missions is about and how this is being played out in the context of their church.

Examples of Missions Definitions

Here are some examples of missions definitions used by local churches who have sought to clearly define what is and what isn’t missions within their church:[2]

Missions at College Church shall be defined as ministry which fulfills the Great Commission by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ cross-culturally through evangelism, discipleship, Bible translation, church planting, and church leadership development, giving priority to the least reached.

Missions is a part of the Church’s total mission . Mission describes who the Church is and what the Church does to advance Christ’s kingdom for his glory. Missions describes the Church’s activity to advance Christ’s kingdom across language and/or ethnic boundaries. This ministry among peoples of distinctly different cultures and languages is cross-cultural and is the particular focus of the Board of Missions.

–Bruce Wilson, College Church, Wheaton, IL

World, National, and Local Missions shall be defined as any ministry aimed outside the continental United States or a cross-cultural ministry within the continental United States, the purpose of which is to fulfill the Great Commission by proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ through evangelism, church planting, church development, and training and/or equipping of Christian leadership.

–Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Crossing barriers to provide access to the gospel.

–Scott White, Lake Avenue Congregational Church

All of these are examples of how churches have worked at determining, with preciseness, the parameters of their missions programs. An effective missions church is one who does the same, having clear definitions which help lead to a well-developed missions strategy that operates both at home and far away.

An effective missions church is one who has clear definitions which help lead to a well-developed missions strategy that operates both at home and far away.

[1] Stephen Neill, Creative Tension: The Duff Lectures , 1958 (London: Edinburgh House Press, 1959) 81.

[2] Retrieved from https://davidmays.org/Strategy/Bible&Definitions/Missions%20Definitions% 20from%20churches.pdf .

(Excerpted from Andrew J and Chris Irwin,  Missions in Focus: 10 Essential Conversations for Effective Sending [Joplin: College Press, 2020]. Used by permission.)

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Is a Vision Trip Right for You?

Ever tried on snazzy red sweater only to find it makes you look like a tomato? Or discovered that you actually love your cousin’s boring hand-me-downs?

Sometimes things just don’t turn out the way we expect.

It’s why clothing stores provide fitting rooms, colleges arrange campus visits and employers conduct interviews. And it’s why TEAM offers v ision trips .

A vision trip is a short-term experience designed to help globally-minded Christians explore life on the mission field. Participants travel to see ministries up close, encounter a new culture and spend quality time with current missionaries.

To go on a vision trip, you don’t have to be certain God is calling you to cross-cultural missions. You just have to be willing to ask if he is.

A vision trip is not a short-term mission trip.

On the surface, a vision trip might look and sound like a short-term mission trip . However, a vision trip’s unique purpose distinguishes it as an important tool in exploring a life of cross-cultural ministry.

A short-term mission trip is for people who know God has called them to serve for a short time. On a mission trip, you dive right into a more specific ministry role and participate as fully as possible in the life of the community there.

Vision trips, on the other hand, are designed to help anyone who is exploring a call to missions experience what it would be like to actually be a missionary for a longer term.

Over 10-14 days, you get a feel for it’s like to live and minister in a foreign context as you interact with a new culture, language and people. You’ll take local transportation, taste new foods, ask missionaries candid questions and attend ministry events.

Each team of four to six participants is lead by a missions mobilizer, who is there to help you process your questions, concerns and excitements as they surface.

A vision trip helps you discern how and if you are called to cross-cultural missions.

When Kayla took a vision trip to the Middle East last summer, she had a strong sense that God was calling her to missions. But with a Physical Education degree, she struggled to see how her skills would specifically fit on the mission field.

While in the Middle East, Kayla learned about job opportunities she could pursue for ministry such as teaching at a health center or physical training.

She met with local missionaries and their ministry partners and was inspired by the impact she saw they were having in a region with very few Christians. Gaining this context helped Kayla to clearly imagine how she could contribute to the Gospel ministry there, too.

Kayla also got a sense of what a daily routine could be like living in the Middle East. She dressed modestly, visited local markets and malls, ate cultural cuisine and took local transportation. These cultural experiences — some easy and some difficult to adapt to — gave Kayla the insight she needs to fully “count the cost” of serving in a Middle Eastern context.

Ultimately, Kayla’s experience illuminated her desire to move forward in pursuing a long-term missionary service . But, a successful vision trip could be going and understanding that you are not called to go overseas yet or at all.

For example, maybe through working with international students in Spain , you are led to return home to teach ESL in your city. Or maybe through a trip to Mexico , you experience a connection to the culture and ministry there, and return next summer for a short-term mission trip.

Whether God is calling you to go or send, a vision trip will help you discern how God is calling to participate in the Great Commission.

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Christian Short-Term Mission Trips

Short term mission trips for youth groups, high school students, college students and adults to the us and international sites., covid payment protection.

In order to best serve you and empower you to serve others, we’re offering no-hassle refunds for all our groups for the next year. We’ll work directly with you to make sure you are well taken care of.   Details on this policy here .

SERVE GOD BY SERVING OTHERS ON A MISSION TRIP!

A mission trip will not only have a profound impact on the ministry partner and community that are being served, but also on you and your group as you discover that your stories are part of the bigger story of what God is doing. You will experience God in a new and powerful way as you serve others in a new context.

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The Holy Spirit is already doing a great work in your group; it’s our role to understand your needs and come alongside what God is already doing in a unique way.

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All of our Mission Leaders have been well trained and are specifically prepared to lead each group.

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More than just designing an experience for your group, we work with ministry partners that have a long-term plan for sustainability. Your team will come alongside these efforts and can be confident that your service is actually helping.

It’s important to us that your group has an opportunity to connect with Jesus and what He’s doing, both around the world and here in the United States. It’s just as important to us that your experience happens in the context of a plan for sustainability. Our long-term missionaries and ministry partners are doing fantastic work every day. Your short-term mission trip will be specifically designed to support that effort while inspiring your group’s relationship with Jesus.

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Madelyn harris, darlene konkel, kristen ogle, tyson stout, madelyn ortiz, payment protection plan.

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• In the case that Adventures cancels a trip, a group’s funds are refundable up to the $75 per person deposit. This deposit is able to be applied toward a future trip with Adventures.
• Adventures will make cancelations 60 days before a trip, except for the case of unpredictable or extenuating circumstances.
• In the case that a group decides to cancel, their payments can be applied toward a future trip with Adventures but are not refundable.
• Groups must notify Adventures of a decision to cancel 60 days before the trip. After this point we cannot guarantee any re-application of funds.

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Adventures encourages all participants to follow CDC guidelines and local regulations at all times. These guidelines will likely change between now and the time of your trip. We will discuss these changes with you as part of your preparation leading up to your trip. It’s important that your group familiarize themselves with these guidelines and make the appropriate preparation before the trip begins.

Having said that, we have also established these basic guidelines for all Adventures Short Term Mission trips.

• Trip participants are required to fill out a health safety questionnaire before traveling to their destination.
• Trip participants are required to fill out a health safety questionnaire each morning before breakfast.
• Trip participants should maintain social distancing, including in ministry. When not socially distanced, wear a mask.
• Each participant should bring at least three masks to wear throughout the week.
• All participants will be required to have their temperature checked by the Project Leader each morning. The Project Leader will be equipped with a temporal thermometer.
• No large group gatherings. We will coordinate with our ministry partners to try to ensure that there are no large group gatherings. In the case that there are, this is done at the discretion of the ministry partner and participants should not feel obligated to attend. It’s our objective to have plenty of smaller service opportunities, such as serving at food pantries, doing work projects at churches or ministries and ministering to people in smaller groups and in a safe, responsible manner.

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They will be quarantined and taken to a facility to have a COVID test taken. They will remain quarantined for 10 days, per CDC guidelines.

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The participant should notify their Project Leader or group leader and remove herself/himself from the situation.

Each location will be prepared with quarantine recommendations. Each situation is unique and will be handled specifically to address the needs of the individual, the group and others who are involved.

Each group is financially responsible for their own flights. We cannot reimburse any costs associated with travel. Please check with the airline about their flight cancellation policy.

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Mission Trip or Vacation?

June 1, 2019 by CJ Palmer

The difference between a mission trip and a vacation

“A mission trip is just a vacation that someone else pays for.” Lots of mission trip critics say this, and they’re right. Sometimes . At first glance mission trips and vacations do look pretty similar. They both involve taking time off from school or work, traveling to a new place, and taking lots of pictures.

However, if you’re really going on a mission trip, there will always be one huge difference. The difference is your purpose.

However, if you're really going on a mission trip, there will always be one huge difference. 

The difference is your purpose.

Self-centered vs. Selfless

The purpose of a vacation is to maximize your own personal enjoyment, relaxation, and pleasure. It's a trip that's all about you. It's self-centered.

On the other hand, the purpose of a mission trip is to maximize the name of Jesus by serving others. It's a trip that's all about others. It's selfless.

When a mission trip turns into a vacation

Can a mission trip turn into a vacation? Yes, if you're not being intentional.

What are your motives and reasons for going? To snap some cool pictures, get to know a cute guy or girl, or travel to an exotic place? If this is where your motives start and end, you're not honestly on a mission trip; you're more on a vacation because you're only focusing on yourself (self-centered).

What's your motivation?

Since we're all naturally self-centered, we need to be intentional about having selfless motives.  It's not bad or wrong  to take pictures, have fun with your teammates, or enjoy traveling. However, you don't want one of those to be your primary motivations during your trip. Motives turn into actions. So, if taking pictures is your primary motive, it'll be your primary action all throughout your mission trip.

On the other hand, if you're intentional about having motives like serving others, digging wells, or sharing God's love with children, then  these will be the motives that turn into actions on your mission trip.

Think about it

Which way is your trip leaning? The mission trip side or the vacation side? The selfless side or the self-centered side?

No trip is perfect , and we all struggle with self-centered motives. However, if we're striving to be better reflections of Jesus, we need to be moving in a selfless direction. Jesus was rarely focused on getting great selfies during His trips.

Written by CJ -

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Home > Bluefield University Blog > Why Go On a Mission Trip in College

Hours after his historic first trip to space, 90-year-old Ed Dwight sat among three retired Black NASA astronauts who thanked him for forging a path for them to go into orbit and called his voyage aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard NS-25 spacecraft "justice."

More than six decades after President John F. Kennedy tapped him to be the nation's first Black astronaut candidate to the elite Aerospace Research Pilot School -- the Air Force program from which NASA astronauts were chosen -- Dwight finally accomplished on Sunday what he was denied all those years ago.

When he returned to Earth as the oldest person ever to travel to space, he was greeted and applauded by retired NASA astronauts and Space Shuttle veterans Leland Melvin, Charles Bolden and Bernard Harris who told him their achievements were only made possible by standing on his shoulders.

MORE: 'The Space Race' explores the history of the 1st Black astronauts

"Now we have justice in getting the history books filled with Ed Dwight flying into space and getting his justice," Melvin, who flew on two space missions aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis, told ABC News.

Despite being appointed by Kennedy to the Aerospace Research Pilot School and recommended by the Air Force, Dwight was not chosen for the NASA astronaut corps in the aftermath of Kennedy’s assassination.

After entering private life in 1966, Dwight spent a decade as an entrepreneur before becoming a sculptor of historic Black figures. He told ABC News that after leaving the Air Force, he conceded he was haunted by the feeling of not being able to accomplish his goal of becoming an astronaut.

"Every time I started a project, I've got it finished. And here this thing came along and it was a great big mysterious question mark sitting there," Dwight said. "And so, the tendency for human beings in a situation like that is to blow it off and say you don't need it."

But he said as more and more supporters and fans encouraged him to seize the opportunity, he began "analyzing the necessity of bringing it up to the front of my brain."

"I found out that I did need that because I needed to finish it," Dwight said.

Dwight was one of six people who blasted off to space from the remote Texas desert on Sunday aboard the New Shepard. Dwight's flight was sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity.

A retired Air Force captain, Dwight told ABC News that it wasn't the weightlessness from zero G-force gravity that he was most interested in, saying he had experienced plenty of that during his time training in the 1960s.

"I wanted to look outside," Dwight said. "I was told by several people that I respect that given the choice of being weightless for 10 minutes or something like that or looking, it was determined that looking was a hell of a lot more important to me because I'm a curious person."

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He added, "When you see something as magnanimous as this Earth is and you really pay attention to it, it's mind-boggling. I mean, it shakes up your head."

Dwight said the experience was life-altering and suggested that every elected leader to Congress be required to view Earth from space .

MORE: Blue Origin recap: William Shatner 'overwhelmed' by 'moving' trip to space

"If they were to fly around this globe two or three times they would see the necessity of this planet [being] unified and see what they're losing by destroying it," Dwight said.

Harris, who flew on two NASA Space Shuttle missions, said that as he watched Dwight finally achieve his goal, he thought of what doors might have been opened earlier for Black Americans had Dwight become an astronaut six decades ago.

"I dreamed of being an astronaut by looking at Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin when I was 13 years old," Harris said. "What if Ed had actually flown? What a difference it would have made in my life because, during that time, I didn't see anyone that looked like me."

Turning to Dwight seated next to him, Harris said, "And so, to see you today lift off, we all cried. And we really appreciate what you did today and what you did for us years ago."

Bolden, who flew on four Space Shuttle missions before becoming the first Black Administrator of NASA, said seeing Dwight go to space "filled a hole."

"We really, really, really needed this," said Bolden, calling Dwight an example to young people that any goal can be achieved with "persistence."

Asked by ABC News what's left on his bucket list, Dwight laughed and said his space voyage was like "getting a taste of honey."

"I want a whole jar of that," Dwight said. "I'd like to go into orbit. That's what I'd like to do."

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NASA’s Europa Clipper Makes Cross-Country Flight to Florida

Technicians offload NASA’s largest planetary mission spacecraft, Europa Clipper, from a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23.

Assembled at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the spacecraft arrived at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23 for launch preparations.

NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft designed to investigate Jupiter’s icy moon Europa and its potential to support life, arrived in Florida on Thursday, May 23. The spacecraft, assembled at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, landed aboard a United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

The mission aims to gather detailed measurements of the moon’s surface, interior, and space environment by performing approximately 50 close flybys, some as low as 16 miles (25 kilometers) from the surface of Europa , which holds a global ocean underneath its ice shell.

“My job for Europa Clipper is to ensure the team meets all the ground and flight requirements to place the spacecraft in the proper orbit to initiate the long journey to Jupiter,” said Armando Piloto, Europa Clipper mission manager for NASA’s Launch Services Program . “The team is excited that the spacecraft is in Florida for processing. We’re pairing Europa Clipper with a fully expendable SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to ensure it provides the required performance to explore a destination very far away from Earth.”

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft carrying NASA’s largest planetary mission spacecraft, Europa Clipper, arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23.

Teams at Kennedy spent several hours offloading Europa Clipper before transferring it to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, where they will process the spacecraft and perform final checkouts as part of prelaunch preparations.

Europa Clipper joins the spacecraft’s two five-panel solar arrays that arrived at Kennedy in March. The arrays, each 46.5 feet (14.2 meters) long, will collect enough sunlight to power the spacecraft on its way to Jupiter’s moon. Technicians will install the arrays on the spacecraft before launch.

The spacecraft was designed to withstand the pummeling of radiation from Jupiter and gather the measurements needed to investigate Europa’s surface, interior, and space environment.

NASA’s largest planetary mission spacecraft, Europa Clipper, arrives at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23.

Europa Clipper has nine dedicated science instruments , including cameras, spectrometers, a magnetometer, and an ice-penetrating radar. These instruments will study Europa’s icy shell, the ocean beneath, and the composition of the gases in the moon’s atmosphere and surface geology, and provide insights into the moon’s potential habitability. The spacecraft also will carry a thermal instrument to pinpoint locations of warmer ice and any possible eruptions of water vapor. Strong evidence shows the ocean beneath Europa’s crust is twice the volume of all the Earth’s oceans combined.

The Europa Clipper mission demonstrates NASA’s commitment to exploring our solar system and searching for habitability beyond Earth. The data will contribute to our understanding of the Jovian system and will help pave the way for potential future missions to study Europa and other potentially habitable worlds.

Europa Clipper is expected to reach the Jupiter system in April 2030, and it will accomplish a few milestones along the way, including a Mars flyby in February 2025 that will help propel the spacecraft toward Jupiter’s moon through a Mars-Earth gravity assist trajectory.

“After two years of painstaking work on the spacecraft here at JPL, with the help of our partners, it was bittersweet to see the spacecraft encased in its shipping container and on its way to Florida,” said Jordan Evans, Europa Clipper project manager at JPL. “But we already have Europa Clipper engineers and technicians at Kennedy who are welcoming this precious cargo and are set to accomplish the final assembly and testing so that we’re ready for launch.”

NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy later this year. The launch period opens on Oct. 10. After testing and final preparations are complete, the spacecraft will be encapsulated in a protective payload fairing and moved to the SpaceX hangar at the launch complex.

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Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The main spacecraft body was designed by APL in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission.

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, manages the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft.

News Media Contact

Gretchen McCartney

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

818-393-6215

[email protected]

Karen Fox / Alana Johnson

NASA Headquarters, Washington

202-385-1287 / 202-358-1501

[email protected] / [email protected]

LA Sparks | Sparks seeking redemption vs. Caitlin Clark in…

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LA Sparks | Sparks seeking redemption vs. Caitlin Clark in rematch at Indiana Fever

The sparks are looking to end a two-game losing streak against indiana, the team's first opponent on this week's three-game road trip..

The Sparks vs. Fever contest will begin this week’s three-game road trip, including stops in Chicago (Thursday) and Phoenix (Sunday).

Tuesday’s game will be the second time the two teams have played in less than a week, creating another marquee matchup between the Clark (No. 1 pick) and Sparks rookies Cameron Brink (No. 2 pick) and Rickea Jackson (No. 4 pick).

The Sparks (1-4) are currently on a two-game losing streak at home via a 78-73 loss to the Fever on May 24 and an 84-83 against the Dallas Wings on May 26, the latter being a career game for Brink who finished with 21 points, three blocked shots and two rebounds.

Brink’s strong start, which included 12 points and two blocked shots in the first quarter, is a feat that has only ever been achieved by two-time MVP and back-to-back champion A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.

The 6-foot-4 forward has a league-high 16 blocked shots this season, which tied her most all-time through five career games with Phoenix’s Brittney Griner in 2013 and Utah’s Elena Baranova in 1997.

Clark had her first double-double and nearly a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists against the Sparks, including two late 3-pointers, after missing her first seven attempts beyond the arc. After beating the Sparks, the Fever suffered a 99-80 loss at the Las Vegas Aces on May 25.

Meanwhile, two-time All-Star forward Dearica Hamby has recorded three straight double-doubles for the Sparks. She is averaging 20.6 points and 13.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 54.2% shooting from the field in the first two weeks of the season.

Lexie Brown (12.2), Cameron Brink (10.8), Kia Nurse (10.6) are all averaging double figures in the scoring column. Rookie forward Rickea Jackson is averaging 9.8 points off the bench.

Sparks forward/center Azurá Stevens, who has not played this season, remains out for the foreseeable future with a left arm injury.

However, the Sparks will be down to 10 active players after starting point guard Layshia Clarendon suffered a concussion and has been ruled out ahead of Tuesday’s road game. Sparks reserve point guard Aari McDonald, who scored seven of her nine points during a fourth-quarter rally, could see more minutes with Clarendon sidelined.

“Coach Curt demands a lot out of his point guards,” McDonald said. “You are the key to the team. You’re the extension of him, so if something goes wrong it’s on you, but I’m up for the challenge. No pressure at all and like I said, I’m going to keep learning and keep asking questions, leaning on Lay and Lex and coach Curt, keep talking to him and keep picking his brain but I’ll be okay.”

Despite the loss, the Sparks bench (Li Yeuru, Aari McDonald, Zia Cook and Rickea Jackson) outscored the Wings by a 27-8 margin, a positive takeaway for Miller, who said he has several requirements for bench players.

“Energy, effort and growth within our schemes,” Miller said. “They’re wide-eyed, there’s so much thrown at them in a short training camp, just the growth the scheming on both sides of the ball and have less and less slippage.

“We’re not asking them to be perfect, but less and less slippage in terms of what game plans we’re trying to achieve. But ultimately, their energy and effort is what we’re looking for when they come in. Keep sparking us with the intangibles that way is really important and again. Aari can give us a ton of energy. Zia gave us a ton of defensive energy and down the line and Li Yueru was great (Sunday night). It’s what we envision that physicality, a low post presence, someone that can keep big teams of the glass. Li was big for us.”

SPARKS (1-4) AT INDIANA (1-6)

When: 4 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

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Axiom Space Ax-3 private spaceflight with SpaceX: Mission updates

Axiom Space's Ax-3 mission is the third-ever private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The mission returned to Earth on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule on Feb. 9 at 8:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT) from off the coast of Florida after more than two weeks in space.

The crew includes Ax-3 mission commander and former  NASA  astronaut Michael "LA" López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, Turkey's first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı and European Space Agency  (ESA) astronaut reserve member Marcus Wandt of Sweden.

Launch Video | Landing | Meet the Crew | SpaceX | Axiom Space

Tariq Malik is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and has been covering human spaceflight for more than 18 years and space exploration overall for more than 20 years. He covered the final 22 space shuttle missions and NASA's ongoing International Space Station and Artemis program. 

Brett is a science and technology journalist who is curious about emerging concepts in spaceflight and aerospace, alternative launch concepts, anti-satellite technologies, and uncrewed systems.

Ax-3 astronauts egress Dragon capsule

The four Ax-3 astronauts have safely left their Dragon capsule, ending their three week spaceflight to the International Space Station. The four astronauts were helped out of the Freedom capsule by recovery teams on SpaceX's retrieval ship Shannon. 

Pilot Walter Villadei was the first one out, followed by ESA reserve astronaut Marcus Wandt and then Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravci. Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria was the last to leave Dragon, ending his second private trip as an Axiom Space commander. 

SpaceX's live coverage of the Ax-3 mission has now ended. Thanks for following along and we'll resume Axiom Space updates ahead of the next flight!

Dragon hatch opened for Ax-3 astronauts

SpaceX's recovery team has opened the side hatch on the Dragon capsule Freedom to begin extracting the four Ax-3 astronaut crew. The astronauts appear in good spirits after their return to Earth. 

Ax-3 astronauts's capsule aboard recovery ship

SpaceX's recovery ship Shannon has retrieved the Ax-3 mission's Dragon capsule Freedom from the ocean. Teams are preparing to open the capsule's side hatch to help the Ax-3 astronauts egress the spacecraft.

Splashdown! Dragon lands with Ax-3 astronauts

After a smooth reentry and parachute deployment, SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom safely splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Daytona Beach, Florida. A SpaceX recovery team is working to retrieve the Dragon capsule., which will be lifted onto a recovery boat so the crew can be extracted.

Dragon Freedom deploys parachutes

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom has deployed its drogue parachutes to slow its descent 

Deorbit burn complete

SpaceX reports the Ax-3 astronauts' Crew Dragon Freedom has successfully performed its deorbit burn and is on track for an 8:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT) splashdown off the coast of Daytona Beach, Florida in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Dragon's nose cone, which covers its docking port, will be closed to protect the spacecraft for reentry. 

Dragon trunk jettisoned for reentry

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom has jettisoned its unpressurized trunk service module as it prepares to return to Earth with the four Ax-3 astronauts. The capsule will soon fire its thrusters in a deorbit burn for a nine-minute reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

Ax-3 astronauts returning to Earth today

It's landing day for Axiom Space's four Ax-3 astronauts as they wrap up a two week mission to the International Space Station. The four astronauts - commander and former  NASA  astronaut Michael "LA" López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, Turkey's first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı and  European Space Agency  (ESA) astronaut reserve member Marcus Wandt of Sweden - have begun their deorbit sequence for a planned splashdown off the coast of Florida at 8:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT). Ax-3 is the third commercial spaceflight for Axiom Space by SpaceX. It launched on Jan. 18.

Ax-3 astronauts' Dragon spacecraft on its way to ISS

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft has separated from its second stage, sending the four Ax-3 astronauts on their way to rendezvous with the International Space Station.

Ax-3 is scheduled to dock at the ISS on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 5:15 a.m. EST (1015 GMT). You can watch it live here at Space.com, when the time comes.

SpaceX launches Ax-3 mission to International Space Station

Ax-3 is underway.

Axiom Space's third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) lifted off at 4:50 EST (215 GMT) from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The four astronauts of the Ax-3 mission will dock at the ISS on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 5:15 a.m. EST (1015 GMT). Stay tuned here at Space.com for coverage of docking, hatch opening and welcome remarks.

SpaceX begins fueling Falcon 9 rocket for Ax-3 flight

Propellant loading has now begun for SpaceX's launch of Axiom Space's Ax-3 astronaut mission to the International Space Station.

The fueling process, which includes loading both RP-1 fuel and liquid oxygen, will take roughly a half hour. Once fueling is complete, the mission's Crew Dragon spacecraft will power on using it's own internal power. 

Following that, a series of pre-flight checks will occur before SpaceX's flight director gives a 'go' or 'no-go' for launch of the Ax-3 mission . Liftoff is still scheduled for 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT).

Ax-3 is 'Go' for fueling

SpaceX's launch director has announced the Ax-3 mission is 'go' for propellant loading. Ground crews have retracted the crew access arm and locked it into launch configuration.

The four astronauts of the Ax-3 mission are suited up and strapped to their seats inside their Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft as the countdown continues. Launch is still on track for 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT) from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Ax-3 astronauts consist of commander and former NASA astronaut Michael "LA" López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, Turkey's soon-to-be first astronaut Alper Gezeravcı, and the European Space Agency 's astronaut reserve member Marcus Wandt of Sweden.

One hour to Ax-3 launch

SpaceX is not at T-1 hour and counting for today's private Ax-3 launch to the International Space Station for Axiom Space. 

Currently, the four Ax-3 astronauts are seated inside their Crew Dragon Freedom as SpaceX works through its preflight countdown. Their walkout and ingress were not webcast live, but SpaceX has shared video of their trip to the launch pad in Tesla vehicles. You can watch that video below. 

The Ax-3 crew is commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael "LA" López-Alegría, with the Italian Air Force's Walter Villadei as pilot. Turkey's soon-to-be first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı and  European Space Agency  (ESA) astronaut reserve member Marcus Wandt of Sweden round out the crew. 

Ax-3 begins final countdown for launch today

The  Ax-3 mission , Axiom Space's third commercial spaceflight with  SpaceX , will launch four astronauts to the ISS from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a  Falcon 9 rocket  and its Dragon spacecraft Freedom.  Liftoff is scheduled for 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT).  Here is where to watch it live.

Read more: What time is the SpaceX Ax-3 astronaut launch for Axiom Space? How to watch it live today

SpaceX delays Ax-3 astronaut mission to Jan. 18

SpaceX is waiting one more day to launch the private Ax-3 astronaut mission.

The company announced on Wednesday (Jan. 17) that the launch of the private  Ax-3 mission  to the  International Space Station has been delayed by a day, to 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT) on Thursday (Jan. 18). 

SpaceX says the delay will allow them to ensure their launch vehicle is healthy and ready for liftoff. 

Read more: SpaceX delays launch of private Ax-3 astronaut mission to Jan. 18

SpaceX ready to launch private Ax-3 astronaut mission today

SpaceX is poised for its next crewed liftoff.

The company remains on target to launch the private  Ax-3 mission  to the  International Space Station  (ISS) on Wednesday (Jan. 17) from NASA's  Kennedy Space Center  in Florida as planned.

"We're happy to say that we're on track — we're ready," Benji Reed, senior director of human spaceflight programs at  SpaceX , said during a call with reporters on Tuesday evening (Jan. 16). 

Read more: SpaceX on track to launch private Ax-3 astronaut mission on Jan. 17

Ax-3: Meet the crew

Houston-based Axiom Space is poised for the company's third private astronaut launch to space. Ax-3 will carry a four-person, all-European crew on a roughly two-week mission to conduct research aboard the  International Space Station  (ISS).

The quartet includes Ax-3 mission commander and former  NASA  astronaut Michael "LA" López-Alegría, mission specialist Walter Villadei, who also flew aboard Virgin Galactic's Galactic 01 suborbital spaceflight as VIRTUTE 1 mission commander last summer, Turkey's soon-to-be first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı and  European Space Agency  (ESA) astronaut reserve member Marcus Wandt.

The Ax-3 crew will launch on a  SpaceX   Falcon 9  rocket in the early evening, Wednesday, Jan. 17, from NASA's  Kennedy Space Center  (KSC), in Florida. After about 36 hours aboard their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, the crew will dock with the ISS early Friday morning, Jan. 19, if all goes according to plan. 

Read more: Meet the 4 astronauts of SpaceX's Ax-3 launch for Axiom Space

Ax-2 astronauts to discuss spaceflight today

The four astronaut of Axiom SpaceX's Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station will speak about their private spaceflight for the first since their landing late on May 30 today and you can watch it live here. 

Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, will lead a public livestream discussion about their flight with pilot John Shoffner, a paying Axiom customer, and Saudi Space Commission astronauts Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT). 

You can watch it live in the video feed at the top of this page and on YouTube here .

Today the #Ax2 crew will share their experiences and highlight the work conducted during the second all-private astronaut mission to the ISS.Tune in live at 3:00 PM CDT to the post-return press conference. https://t.co/oMcjt20SVp June 1, 2023

Ax-2 astronauts exit Dragon capsule to end mission

After SpaceX recovery team retrieved the Ax-2 Dragon capsule Freedom on its recovery ship Meghan, all four of the private astronauts have exited the spacecraft.  Read our full Ax-2 splashdown story .

The Ax-2 astronauts were all smiles as they left the spacecraft, with some waving and posing for photos before being escorted away for medical checks. 

Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson was the first to leave the capsule, with pilot John Shoffner following shortly after. Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni followed next to round out the crew. The four astronauts were pulled from the capsule just over one hour after splashdown. 

After their medical checks, the astronauts will be flown to land by helicopter and then head to Houston, SpaceX officials said.

That will wrap up our coverage of the Ax-2 mission. Join us back here once Axiom Space prepares for its next private flight, Ax-3, in the future.

SpaceX recovery teams reach Dragon capsule

SpaceX's recovery teams have reached the Dragon Freedom capsule where they are preparing it for retrieval by the company's ship Meghan. Two teams on fast boats are working on the capsule while another team member on a jet ski worked to help recover the parachutes.  

Splashdown!

Splashdown! SpaceX's Ax-2 Dragon capsule has landed safely, returning its crew of 4 private astronauts home after a 10 day flight for Axiom Space. 

 "SpaceX, we would like to tell you, that was a phenomenal ride," Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson said. "We really enjoyed all of it."

Dragon main parachutes deploy

Main parachute deploy! SpaceX's Dragon capsule Freedom has deployed its main chutes and is now floating down for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Panama City, Florida.

Ax-2 Dragon spotted by recovery crews

SpaceX has regained communications with the Ax-2 Dragon capsule and it is now visible to recovery crews on SpaceX ships in the Gulf of Mexico. Parachute deploy coming up next.

Ax-2 Dragon in communications blackout zone

SpaceX's Ax-2 Dragon capsule is reentering Earth's atmosphere and is now in a communications blackout period as it is enveloped in a super-hot plasma shell, protected by its heat-resistant heat shield. 

The blackout period will last about 7 minutes. 

Ax-2 Dragon deorbit burn complete

SpaceX's Ax-2 Crew Dragon capsule Freedom completed its deorbit burn at about 10:31 pm ET (0231 GMT)  and closed its nosecone for reentry. 

The spacecraft is expected to enter a planned communications blackout as it reenters Earth's atmosphere. 

"We will see you on the other side," SpaceX radioed the crew. 

Ax-2 astronauts prepare for splashdown

Axiom SpaceX's private Ax-2 astronauts are on track to return to Earth tonight, May 30, with a splashdown off the Florida coast at 11:04 p.m. EDT (0304 GMT) . You can watch it live on Space.com , courtesy of SpaceX and Axiom Space. The webcast will begin at 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT) and also be carried live on this page. 

Ax-2 mission commander Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner (a paying Axiom Space customer) and mission specialists Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, both of the Saudi Space Commission are wrapping up a 10-day spaceflight to the International Space Station, where they spent 8 days living on the orbiting lab and performing science experiments. 

Ax-2 astronauts depart space station for Earth

The four crewmembers of Axiom Space's Ax-2 mission are on their way home.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Ax-2 crew undocked from the International Space Station at 11:05 a.m. EDT (1505 GMT), NASA tweeted on Tuesday (May 30). 

The crew will now make a nearly 12-hour voyage home before splashing down in the ocean off the coast of Florida at 11:02 p.m. EDT tonight (0302 GMT on May 31). 

You can watch the Ax-2 crew return to Earth here at Space.com, courtesy of  SpaceX , beginning at about 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT on May 31).

Ax-2 astronauts to leave space station

It's undocking day for the Axiom Space Ax-2 astronauts. 

The four private astronauts will board their SpaceX Dragon and undock from the International Space Station today, May 30, and return to Earth to end a 10-day mission in orbit. You can watch the Ax-2 astronauts undock and land on Space.com , courtesy of NASA TV and SpaceX.

The action will begin at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) , when NASA will begin broadcasting TV coverage of the hatch closure between the station and Ax-2's SpaceX Dragon capsule Freedom. Hatch closure is scheduled for 9:10 a.m. EDT (1310 GMT) . 

NASA will then restart its broadcast coverage at 10:45 a.m. EDT (1445 GMT) ahead of undocking, which is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. EDT (1505 GMT) . Both events will be streamed live on Space.com. 

The Ax-2 Dragon spacecraft will spend just under 12 hours in orbit before returning to Earth, with splashdown scheduled for 11:02 p.m. EDT (0302 GMT on May 31) . SpaceX will offer its own landing webcast starting at 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT) . 

Ax-2 crew to bid farewell to ISS astronauts in ceremony

Axiom Space's four private Ax-2 astronauts will bid farewell to their hosts on the International Space Station today in a live ceremony at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) and you'll be able to watch it live via NASA TV . 

On Sunday (May 28) the astronauts - commander Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner and mission specialists Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi participated in a science briefing from orbit with Axiom Space, which you can also watch online . It was the last full day of science research and STEM outreach by the crew, according to an Axiom Space update .

The astronauts will spend the bulk of today packing up their gear and Dragon capsule Freedom for their return to Earth later this week. The quartet are scheduled to undock from the space station on Tuesday (May 30). 

You can watch the undocking live online, via NASA TV, at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT). Undocking is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. EDT (1505 GMT) .

Ax-2 astronauts begin 2nd week in space

The Axiom Space Ax-2 astronauts have completed Flight Day 7 of their 10 day mission and are nearing the end of their 8-day stay on the International Space Station . 

The crew is expected to depart the space station on Tuesday (May 30) and return to Earth a short time later. 

In the last few days, Ax-2 pilot John Shoffner, a paying customer for Axiom Space, and Ax-2 mission specialists Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi of the Saudi Space Commission have participated in a series of STEM outreach events using the station's ham radio as well as video links with students on Earth. You can get a good overview on their activities in Axiom Space's Flight Day 7 highlights video on YouTube .

Barnawi has been using a glovebox in the station's Japanese Kibo lab to conduct DNA experiments while AlQarni on Saturday performed experiments that measured the electrical activity in the brain in space. 

Ax-mission commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, has been working alongside her crewmates. She also has been testing an Axiom Space inventory tracking system for use on the space station, as well as a Axiom communications protocols for private astronaut flights. 

Ax-2 private astronauts complete 1st week in space

The four private astronauts of Axiom Space's Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station complete their first full week in orbit today after their Sunday launch. 

In a mission update on Friday, Axiom Space showcased pilot John Shoffner's work testing an MIT "Skinsuit" garment designed to simulate some effects of Earth gravity on an astronaut while in space. Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi has been conducting cancer research experiments and tasks using a special glovebox while fellow Saudi crewmate Ali AlQarni performed experiments for a Saudi university. 

Shoffner unveiled the winners of his Art in Space and Poetry contest from inside the space station. You can see the art winners in A xiom Space's Mission Update Video for May 26 .

Ax-2 astronauts to demo MIT Skinsuit

The four private Ax-2 astronauts are tackling their sixth in space today, May 26, with some demonstrations of innovative space clothing to help astronauts live in space. 

Ax-2 pilot John Shoffner will test out an MIT Skinsuit outfit today designed to simulate the effects of Earth's gravity, at least some of them, on astronaut's bodies while they're in space. He will demonstrate how the gear works in a livestream at 10:40 a.m. EDT (1440 GMT). 

You can watch the event live on YouTube via the video link above. 

Ax-2 astronauts complete second day on space station

Ax-2 astronauts finished their second full day on the International Space Station yesterday (May 24) and worked on science, for the most part. 

Rayyanah Barnawi, a Saudi research scientist, performed DNA nanotherapeutics (medical) mixing operations, and worked together with fellow Saudi astronaut Ali Alqarni on an advanced microscope called Kermit. 

Commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, worked with U.S. pilot John Shoffner, did stem cell research while Shoffner also had two live conversations with students in the United Kingdom.

"I grew up wanting to be an astronaut," Shoffner said in an excerpt shared on Axiom Space's YouTube channel . "I was in love with the Space Race the moment it started ... It's an awesome experience. I'm here with a fabulous crew, enjoying a fabulous week of space science."

Ax-2 astronauts tackle first full day on ISS

The four private astronauts of Axiom Space's Ax-2 mission are spending the first full day on the International Space Station. 

Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner (a paying crewmember) and mission specialists Ali AlQarni and Rayyannag Barnawi - both of the Saudi Space Commission - have a full plate of 20 different science experiments to perform, as well as in-space outreach events for students and the Saudi public. 

"My family and brothers in the Kingdom.. The sky is no limit to our ambition.. it is only the beginning," Barnawi wrote on Twitter after arriving at the station on May 22. She became the first Saudi woman to fly in space and the 600th person in space on this flight.

Ax-2 astronauts enter space station

The four Ax-2 astronauts have officially entered the International Space Station, with broad smiles and handshakes welcoming them aboard. 

Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson was the first to enter the station, a homecoming of sorts as she has previously commanded the station during earlier missions. Pilot John Shoffner, who is paying for his trip on Ax-2 to Axiom Space, was next. Saudi Space Commission astronaut Ali AlQarni was third, followed by fellow Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi. 

The four Ax-2 astronauts join a seven-person team already on the station as part of Expedition 69. They will have a full welcoming ceremony shortly to officially welcome the new group aboard. 

Hatches open between Ax-2 Dragon, Space Station

The four Ax-2 astronauts aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom have opened the hatch between their spacecraft and the International Space Station. 

Hatch opening occurred at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) after astronauts inside the station opened their own hatch on the space-facing port of NASA's Harmony connecting node. 

The Ax-2 astronauts are expected to float inside the space station soon for a welcome ceremony that was originally scheduled at 11:45 a.m. EDT (1545 GMT). 

Docking! SpaceX's Ax-2 arrives at space station

SpaceX's Ax-2 Crew Dragon Freedom successfully docked at the International Space Station at 9:12 a.m. EDT (1312 GMT) as both spacecraft sailed 262 miles above and to the northeast of Japan. 

"That's the softest docking I've ever had," said Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut who also flew to the station on a NASA space shuttle and Russian Soyuz capsule. 

The crew will now spend eight days docked at the station, performing science experiments, STEM outreach and other tasks. NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg on the station welcomed Whitson back to the station, and her Ax-2 crewmates for the first time, including an Arabic greeting for Saudi astronauts Ali AlQarni and Rayannah Barnawi. 

"We look forward to working with you guys this week," Whitson said.

New Ax-2 docking time: 9:10 am ET

 SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom is on track for an earlier docking now, targeted for 9:10 a.m. EDT (1310 GMT), for today's Ax-2 astronaut crew arrival at the International Space Station. 

In the last 90 minutes, the spacecraft has passed a series of waypoints and is now less than 200 meters away from the International Space Station. 

Docking Day for Ax-2 crew

It's docking day for the four astronauts of Axiom Space's Ax-2 mission and their SpaceX Dragon capsule is now scheduled to dock at the International Space Station at 9:10 a.m. EDT (1310 GMT) , NASA officials say. 

A live webcast is underway from NASA, SpaceX and Axiom Space and you can watch at the top of this page and on our docking webcast page here .

The docking will end a 15 hour trip to the space station for Ax-2 astronauts Peggy Whitson, John Shoffner, Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi and begin an eight-day stay on the station. 

There will be live video of hatch opening between the two spacecraft at 11:13 a.m. EDT (1513 GMT) , and the Crew’s welcoming remarks at 11:45 a.m. EDT (1545 GMT) .

Ax-2 astronauts thrilled to be in space

The four astronauts of Axiom Space's Ax-2 mission are thrilled to be in space, but were so busy getting out of their spacesuits after reaching orbit, they almost forgot to look out the window. 

Ax-2 pilot John Shoffner, an investor and entrepreneur, said the experience of weightlessness after the ride into orbit was "an amazing feeling," during a short live video chat with SpaceX's Mission Control. "We were all pretty busy getting dressed and getting all of our gear out that we forgot to look out the window for a couple of minutes," Shoffner said. "But it's amazing feeling really enjoying it. We're going to have an awesome experience."

Rayyanah Barnawi, who became the first Saudi woman to fly in space as a Saudi national astronaut, and her Saudi crewmate Ali AlQarni shared excited messages to home in Arabic, then translated them for their viewers. 

"Hello from outer space! It feels amazing to be viewing Earth from this capsule.," Barnawi said, as she thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support. "And to the people around the world, well, the future is very bright and I would like you to dream big, believe in yourself and believe in humanity."

Ax-2 crew doing well in orbit, launch a success

SpaceX, Axiom Space and NASA report the Ax-2 astronauts are doing well after reaching orbit after a stunning launch on a Falcon 9 rocket. 

The four astronauts - commander and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson; investor and pilot John Shoffner; and Saudi national astronauts Ali AlQarni and Rayannah Barnawi - are on track to dock at the International Space Station in just under 15 hours on the morning of Monday, May 22. Docking is set for about 9:24 am ET (1324 GMT). 

SpaceX reported that the astronauts may have time to talk live with mission control from orbit at 8:40 p.m. EDT (0040 GMT) tonight. If so, we'll be sure to post the link here. 

Joel Montalbano, NASA's program manager for the International Space Station, said the crew on the space station is preparing to welcome their new visitors. They are also gearing up to receive a new Russian cargo ship on May 24, so it will be a busy time. 

The Ax-2 astronauts will spend 10 days in space, eight of them on the station. They are expected to undock on May 30, Montalbano said.

We'll continue to provide live mission updates here each day during the mission.

Ax-2 in orbit, post-launch briefing at 7 pm ET

And that's a wrap for SpaceX's's Ax-2 private astronaut launch for Axiom Space. The two companies and NASA have ended their livestreams, but SpaceX and Axiom Space will continue to post updates on Twitter.  You can read our wrap story here .

It will take about 15 hours for the crew to reach the International Space Station, so they'll doff their spacesuits, have their first meal in space and try to get some rest. (They will probably plan to look out the window for a bit.)

NASA, SpaceX and Axiom Space will hold a post-launch briefing at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT). You can listen to it live in the feed above.

Spacecraft separation! Dragon Ax-2 astronauts in orbit

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom has successfully separated from its Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage. Camera views showed it flying free above a bright blue Earth. 

Meanwhile, the four Ax-2 astronauts are getting acquainted to zero gravity, playing with floating pens and their GiGi space bear. 

The Falcon 9 rocket's 1st stage aced a flawless landing at LZ-1, SpaceX's landing pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It was the first time the company has landed a rocket on land after a crewed launch.

MECO and Stage Separation

SpaceX's Falcon 9 1st stage has shut down and separated from the upper stage. It has performed a boost back burn to return to Earth. 

The upper stage engine has ignited as planned and continues to carry its Ax-2 crew into orbit. 

"Copy, nominal trajectory," Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson radioed to Mission Control.

LIFTOFF! SpaceX launches Ax-2 private astronaut mission

Ignition! SpaceX's Falcon 9 lifts off with a crew of four on the private Ax-2 astronaut mission for Axiom Space. Destination: International Space Station.

Strongback retracted, Dragon on internal power

SpaceX reports it's Dragon capsule is now on internal power and its Falcon 9 strongback support has retracted away. Fueling should also be  completed for the Falcon 9 rocket in the next few minutes. Minutes remain until the 5:37 pm ET (2137 GMT) launch.

SpaceX watching clouds, valve. Count continues

SpaceX reports there's an anvil cloud about 5 miles away from the launch pad and it just needs to stay 3 miles away for launch. 

"Watching the clouds, thinking dry thoughts," Ax-2commander Peggy Whitson said.

"We are honored to have you aboard Dragon capsule Freedom today," SpaceX's launch director told the crew. "We wish you a great mission. Good luck, Godspeed and enjoy the ride." "Let freedom fly", Peggy Whitson called back.

Engine chilldown underway. 

SpaceX completes RP-1 fueling of 2nd stage

SpaceX reports it has completed fueling the 2nd stage of the Falcon 9 rocket with its RP-1 propellant. Stage 1 liquid oxygen fueling has been underway simultaneously. Stage 2 LOX loading will follow shortly.

SpaceX is tracking a valve issue on the first stage manually to make sure its system is properly pressurized for launch, but is continuing with the countdown. A final check is expected at the T-35 seconds mark.

Propellant loading begins for Falcon 9

SpaceX has begun loading the RP-1 rocket-grade kerosene propellant onto the Falcon 9 rocket. The process started about 35 minutes before launch. 

Crew Access Arm retracted for Ax-2 launch

SpaceX's launch director has given the "go" to begin preparing to fuel the Falcon 9 rocket for the Ax-2 mission. Meanwhile, the launch pad's Crew Access Arm has successfully retracted away from the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule. 

SpaceX has armed the launch escape system on the Dragon Freedom capsule, which is designed to pull the spacecraft free of its rocket in case of an emergency. 

Meet 'GiGi' the Build-a-Bear Zero-G indicator

Axiom Space unveiled the zero-g indicator and it is a tiny version of an Axiom Space Bear called "GiGi." The adorable space bear is actually a Build-A-Bear creation (yes, you can order a larger version of it for yourself) given to the Ax-2 crew before launch. 

"GiGi was designed and built for the next generation of space explorers who will enable us to explore beyond, build a sustainable future in low-Earth orbit and realize the extensive science research that will be achievable with their involvement and active participation in STEAM," Sandra Nelson, vice president of marketing at Axiom Space, told Space.com contributor Robert Pearlman of collectSPACE.com. The Axiom Space Bear is available for order now from the  Build-A-Bear Workshop  and  Axiom Space  websites for $42 each.

SpaceX close-out crew leaves pad, weather good

SpaceX's John Insprucker reports that the close-out crew has departed Pad 39A and the Crew Access Arm is being prepared to swing clear of the Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket. 

Weather continues to look good for launch.

"Reporting no significant issues, everything continuing to look good," Insprucker said.

Dragon hatch closed for Ax-2 launch

SpaceX's close-out crew has closed and sealed the side hatch of the Dragon capsule Freedom ahead of today's launch of four Ax-2 astronauts for Axiom Space. 

The countdown continues to tick down toward a 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT) launch, and all systems and weather appear to be in good shape.

Ax-2 astronauts in launch position

The four Ax-2 private astronauts are now in launch position after SpaceX rotated their seats from the upright position for ingress into an upward-facing position for liftoff. 

A series of suit leak checks are underway right now. As we await the Crew Dragon side hatch closure, here's a clip of the crew heading out to the launch pad and meeting their rocket.

Ax-2 crew all strapped in

Axiom Space's Ax-2 crew is all smiles as they await communications checks while strapped in their Crew Dragon Freedom seats. 

SpaceX will conduct a series of communications checks with each crewmember to ensure everything is ready for launch.

Ax-2 astronauts begins Dragon ingress

The Ax-2 astronauts have reached Pad 39A and taken the elevator up to the Crew Access Arm where the mission's commander Peggy Whitson and pilot John Shoffner have already entered their Dragon capsule. Saudi astronauts Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi will follow shortly.

The private astronauts took some time to marvel at their launch vehicle, then took the elevator up to the Crew Access Arm. They had an opportunity to make final phone calls to loved ones and sign SpaceX's White Room wall before entering the Dragon Freedom capsule.

Ax-2 astronauts suit up, head to launch pad

The Ax-2 astronauts have donned their sleek SpaceX-issue spacesuits inside SpaceX's Falcon rocket support building and are on their way to the launch pad. They left the support building near Launch Pad 39A, and will ride in three black Tesla electric cars to their Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule at the pad.

Weather 75% Go for Ax-2 launch

SpaceX and Axiom Space have a new weather forecast for today's launch. There is now a 75% chance of good weather, down from 80%. The main concern is the formation of anvil clouds near the launch site. 

SpaceX Ax-2 livestream beginning!

Will just over 3 hours to go until the Ax-2 astronaut launch, SpaceX is warming up its livestream for today's liftoff coverage. 

The company's webcast is live and is expected to provide live commentary through the launch countdown. You can see the webcast at the top of this page, but we recommend viewing it through the Space.com homepage or our Ax-2 webcast page .

What time is the Ax-2 launch? We've got you.

As SpaceX counts down to launch the Ax-2 mission for Axiom Space, the company has shared a detailed timeline how it will work. We've rounded it all up in our " What time is SpaceX's Ax-2 launch ?" story, but here's a sneak peak. 

Launch Day for Axiom Space!

It's launch day for Axiom Space's private Ax-2 space crew on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  Liftoff is set for 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT) . 

You'll be able to watch the Ax-2 launch live online , including on Space.com, beginning at about 2:10 p.m. EDT (1810 GMT) in a livestream provided by SpaceX. 

The Ax-2 mission is the second all-private launch to the International Space Station by Axiom Space. It will launch four astronauts to the station on a 10-day flight, eight of those days will be on the space station.

The mission is commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson , who will be the first woman to lead a private space mission. Serving as pilot is investor John Shoffner, who is a paying customer for Axiom Space. Two of Saudi Arabia's first astronauts, Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, round out the crew. 

AlQarni and Barnawi will be the first Saudi astronauts to visit the International Space Station, with Barnawi to become the first Saudi woman in history to fly in space.

As we prepare for launch, here's a few things to know about this mission:

Meet the 4 astronauts of Axiom Space's Ax-2 mission

Excitement builds for 1st Saudi astronauts to fly to space station Saudi Arabia's 1st female astronaut hopes kids will follow in her footsteps

SpaceX Ax-2 private astronaut mission will grow 1st stem cells in space

Axiom crews to use custom Fisher space pens on private missions

Photos from the Ax-2 all-private space mission

Ax-2 mission GO for Sunday launch

NASA, SpaceX and Axiom Space have officially cleared the Ax-2 private astronaut mission for launch, with liftoff set for 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT) on Sunday, May 21. You'll be able to watch the Ax-2 launch live online , including on Space.com. 

Officials for NASA and both companies met in a launch readiness review meeting today and signed off on the planned launch. This is the second all-private Axiom Space mission to the space station.

"It's obviously a very, very exciting day," Derek Hassmann, Axiom Space's chief of mission integration and operations, told reporters in a teleconference this evening. "We worked a long, long time in collaboration with our partners at SpaceX and NASA to get to this point. The crew has been working very hard to get trained and  they're certainly ready to go."

Benji Reed, SpaceX's senior director for human spaceflight programs, said that a final check of the mission's Dragon capsule Freedom did reveal one issue that needed to be resolved. Nine fasteners on a panel near the top of Dragon spacecraft had less thermal protection filler material than expected, Reed explained, so a team is using a crane near the rocket to reach the site to fill the gaps in those fasteners in time for flight.

"We're actually fairly confident that that would be okay that we could we could fly the dragon that way and then come back and reenter with the amount of fill that we have there. Those analyses are ongoing," Reed said. "However, in an abundance of caution, we've decided to go ahead and get those cells exactly to the amount that they need to be filled with this thermal protective protection material on those nine fasteners."

Reed said the process will be completed tonight. 

"It'll have no impact, we expect, to the launch."

1 day to launch: Ax-2 crew aces dress rehearsal

SpaceX is one day away from launching four private astronauts to the International Space Station for Axiom Space and the Ax-2 mission 's crew are more than ready for launch. 

On Friday, May 19, the Ax-2 astronauts -- commander Peggy Whitson (a former NASA   spaceflyer); pilot John Shoffner, a paying customer; and Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni; -- performed a dress rehearsal for their planned launch on Sunday from NASA's Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida. 

The four astronauts donned their sleek SpaceX spacesuits and rode out to the pad in Tesla electric cars, where they climbed inside their Dragon capsule Freedom. 

"We got to see our rocket up close today! And, yes, there are goose bumps of excitement!!" Whitson said on Twitter . 

Teams completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities with the @Axiom_Space Ax-2 crew pic.twitter.com/0xhqrf0SwL May 19, 2023

Two days until Ax-2 launch

The Axiom 2 (Ax-2) mission is set to launch at 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT) on May 21 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. And the crew of the mission can hardly contain their excitement ahead of the eight-day-long mission to the International Space Station (ISS). 

Crew commander Peggy Whitson will be the first woman to lead a private space mission, following two commands of the ISS as a NASA astronaut. "We really feel like we’re prepared to go. We have a few more objectives to meet in the next few days, but we are so excited to get to space," she said in a press conference Tuesday (May 16). The crew includes Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Alqarni, private pilot John Shoffner and Whitson. Alqarni plans to bring Saudi coffee and dates as he and Barnawai become the first two Saudi astronauts on the orbiting complex. — Rob Lea

What to know about Axiom Space's 2nd private mission to the ISS

Axiom Space is still aiming to launch its Ax-2 mission with SpaceX on Sunday (May 21) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Want to learn more about the mission? Here's what you need to know about Ax-2 and how it fits into  Axiom Space 's ambitious plans in Earth orbit.

Read more: Meet the 4 astronauts of SpaceX's Ax-2 mission for Axiom Space

Ax-2 crew shares excitement over upcoming launch

The four astronauts who will be launching on Axiom Space's upcoming Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) held a virtual press conference on Tuesday (May 16) to discuss their impending spaceflight.

Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, Ax-2 mission specialists who are members of Saudi Arabia's first astronaut class, shared their excitement over being chosen to represent their nation as it sends its first humans to the ISS. "We are really honored and privileged to have you guys and to be part of this amazing mission," Alqarni said, adding that he and Barnawi "are really thrilled and excited for our mission and to represent Saudi Arabia on this journey."

Ax-2 pilot John Shoffner, meanwhile, shared that "To say I'm excited to be here would be a gross understatement." It will be Shoffner's first trip to space.

Axiom Space's Ax-2 mission is scheduled to liftoff atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday (May 21) at 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. You can watch it live here courtesy of NASA and SpaceX.

Read more: Ax-2 private astronauts can't wait for their May 21 SpaceX launch to the space station Related: Meet the 4 astronauts of SpaceX's Ax-2 mission for Axiom Space

Axiom Space 'Go' for Ax-2 launch on May 21

In a Flight Readiness Review (FRR) conference held Monday (May 15), mission managers from NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space said the upcoming Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is currently on track to launch as scheduled at 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT) on Sunday, May 21. 

"Today we had a review where we brought together members of the team from Axiom Space, SpaceX and NASA to talk about the upcoming mission, and at the end of that review, the full team polled 'go,'" said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate.

The mission will be the second-ever all-private mission to the International Space Station . The first, Ax-1 , launched in April 2022 atop a SpaceX rocket and saw four private astronauts spend more than two weeks aboard the ISS.

Read more: SpaceX to launch 1st Saudi woman to space on private Ax-2 mission

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