After multiple delays ranging from rocket issues to a leak on the International Space Station, the Axiom Space Mission 4 was finally off the ground. The crew had been in quarantine ahead of launch since May 25. The liftoff finally came at 2:31 a.m. June 25 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center pad 39A. The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage, also known as the booster, came in for a landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, creating a sonic boom heard throughout Brevard. Commanding this mission is former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, a record-breaking space flier. She called the launch in the new spacecraft an "incredible ride uphill." This mission is Whitson's second with Axiom Space. Upon reaching orbit, the name of the latest SpaceX Dragon capsule, the final addition to the fleet, was revealed to be Grace. During a media briefing earlier this month, the crew had teased that the name would be related to their zero-gravity indicator — a plush swan. "Grace is more than a name. It reflects the elegance at which we move through space against the backdrop of Earth," Whitson said. "Grace reminds us that spaceflight is not just a feat of engineering, but an act of goodwill." Joining Whitson are first-time fliers Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The mission brings a return to human spaceflight for these three countries, as in over 40 years the countries have not seen a government-sponsored astronaut.