A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
The crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, from left, Saudi Arabian astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, commandeer Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner and Saudi Arabian astronaut Ali al-Qarni arrive at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., before their launch to the International Space Station, Sunday, May 21, 2023.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon capsule, stands ready for launch on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
CORRECTS NAME TO WHITSON NOT WHITMAN The crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, from left, Saudi Arabian astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, commandeer Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner and Saudi Arabian astronaut Ali al-Qarni arrive at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., before their launch to the International Space Station, Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Members of the crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, commandeer Peggy Whitson, left, and pilot John Shoffner arrive at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., before their launch to the International Space Station, Sunday, May 21, 2023. Peggy Whitson
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon capsule, stands ready for launch on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Photographers set up remote cameras to cover the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, before a scheduled launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Terry Renna - freelancer, FR60642
The crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, from left, Saudi Arabian astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, commandeer Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner and Saudi Arabian astronaut Ali al-Qarni arrive at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., before their launch to the International Space Station, Sunday, May 21, 2023.
John Raoux - staff, AP
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon capsule, stands ready for launch on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
John Raoux - staff, AP
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Terry Renna - freelancer, FR60642
CORRECTS NAME TO WHITSON NOT WHITMAN The crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, from left, Saudi Arabian astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, commandeer Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner and Saudi Arabian astronaut Ali al-Qarni arrive at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., before their launch to the International Space Station, Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Terry Renna - freelancer, FR60642
Members of the crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, commandeer Peggy Whitson, left, and pilot John Shoffner arrive at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., before their launch to the International Space Station, Sunday, May 21, 2023. Peggy Whitson
Terry Renna - freelancer, FR60642
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon capsule, stands ready for launch on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
John Raoux - staff, AP
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Terry Renna - freelancer, FR60642
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Terry Renna - freelancer, FR60642
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
John Raoux - staff, AP
Photographers set up remote cameras to cover the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, before a scheduled launch to the International Space Station on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, May 21, 2023.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades rocketed toward the International Space Station on a chartered multimillion-dollar flight Sunday.
SpaceX launched the ticket-holding crew, led by a retired NASA astronaut now working for the company that arranged the trip. Also on board: a U.S. businessman who now owns a sports car racing team.
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