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Following successful Axiom splashdown, officials turn to launching Crew-4 mission

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The first all-private mission to the International Space Station ended Monday afternoon with a successful splashdown off the coast of Jacksonville.

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The Axiom Mission-1 crew spent an extra week in space after a series of weather delays to land in Florida.

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Now, NASA and SpaceX are already preparing for their next launch.

The Crew-4 mission is set to lift off from Launch Pad 39-A Wednesday morning, provided teams are satisfied with their review of Axiom Mission-1.

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“We’re going to do the critical data review … associated with that Axiom return,” said Jessica Landa, strategic communications lead for NASA’s Commercial Crew program. “We’re going to make sure we have the recovery vessels staged where they need to be for launch. We’re going to close up stuff on the pad. Then, we’re going to get ready. We’re going to take it one step at a time and ensure that it’s safe for (the) Crew flight, and then we’re going to launch.”

Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins and Samantha Cristoforetti are in quarantine ahead of their scheduled 3:52 a.m. launch from the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday.

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Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.