Axiom-1, Dayton’s Larry Connor set to leave space station Saturday

The  Ax-1 crew are successfully boarded and docked on the International Space Station as of Saturday, April 9. Credit: Axiom Space website.

The Ax-1 crew are successfully boarded and docked on the International Space Station as of Saturday, April 9. Credit: Axiom Space website.

After multiple weather delays, the Axiom-1 crew, including Dayton businessman Larry Connor, is set to depart Saturday afternoon from the International Space Station.

Undocking is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Saturday, according to the International Space Station’s Twitter.

The crew is expected to return to Earth with a “splashdown” around 12:45 p.m. Sunday off the coast of Florida, according to NASA.

“NASA and Axiom mission planning prepared for the possibility of additional time on station for the private astronauts, and there are sufficient provisions for all 11 crew members aboard the space station,” read a post on NASA’s blog. “The Ax-1 crew continues to work through previously planned mission activities. The Ax-1 crew and Dragon spacecraft remain healthy.”

Initially Axiom-1 was set to undock Monday from the space station, but was delayed until 10 p.m. Tuesday. Axmion-1 tweeted Tuesday afternoon that the departure was delayed again due to unfavorable weather.

The mission launched April 8 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and arrived a day later at the International Space Station.

Axiom-1′s private crew have been conducting experiments in partnership with Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic based around the heart, spine, brain and aging during their 14-day trip.

Connor spoke during a live stream on the “responsibility of getting it right” as the first private civilian space crew.