People gather from all over North America to watch Axiom launch

Axiom Space mission to ISS planned for Friday

Axiom Space and SpaceX are preparing to send the first all-private mission to the International Space Station.

COCOA BEACH, Fla. - People camping out at Jetty Park have come from all over the country, some coming all the way from Canada to see Friday's space launch.

"It’s one of those things, you could see it a million times, and it just gets better," said David Lane, visiting from New Hampshire.

Lane chooses to stay there every year for the view of the launches.

"You’ll see the rocket, the flame, it will come up and over, and it’s tremendous," Lane said.

"It’s the sound and the blast and the experience," said Serg Sigouin, who made the 24-hour drive with his family from Quebec.

NASA next moon rocket, the Space Launch System, sits on a launch pad at Kennedy Space Center for testing while a SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying the Axiom mission can be seen in the distance. [Courtesy: NASA]

Sigouin has seen launches before, but this one's different.

Four civilian astronauts will spend 10 days on the International Space Station.

Axiom calls it a new era.

Countdown to Axiom Ax-1 mission launch

Axiom Space and SpaceX will launch the first all-private mission to the International Space Station and people are coming from all across North America to witness the historic launch.

"They’re courageous people going up there," Sigouin said. "I know it’s costly, but they need courage to go up there. It’s a hell of a ride."

Thursday was a wet day for campers hoping to have a front row seat to the historic space launch, but Axiom says Friday morning's conditions will be right.

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