Astronomy:Axiom Mission 3

From HandWiki
Short description: 2024 private crewed spaceflight to the ISS
Axiom Mission 3
Axiom-3 Launch (KSC-20240118-PH-CMS01 0033).jpg
Launch of Ax-3 on a Falcon 9 rocket.
NamesAx-3
Mission typePrivate spaceflight to the ISS
OperatorAxiom Space
COSPAR ID2024-014A
Mission duration75 days, 4 hours and 3 minutes (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeCrew Dragon Freedom
ManufacturerSpaceX
Launch mass12,519 kg (27,600 lb)
Landing mass9,616 kg (21,200 lb)
Crew
Crew size4
Members
  • Michael López-Alegría
  • Walter Villadei
  • Alper Gezeravcı
  • Marcus Wandt
Start of mission
Launch date18 January 2024 21:49 UTC[1]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 (B1080.5)
Launch siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39A
ContractorSpaceX
End of mission
Landing date2 February 2024, ??:?? UTC (planned)
Landing siteAtlantic Ocean
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony forward
Docking date20 January 2024, 10:42 UTC[2]
Undocking date2 February 2024, 12:00 UTC (planned)
Time docked73 days, 15 hours and 10 minutes (in progress)
Axiom 3 mission insignia Axiom Mission 3 crew.jpg
(L-R) López-Alegría, Villadei, Gezeravcı, Wandt in black jumpsuits
← Axiom Mission 2
Axiom Mission 4 →
 

Axiom Mission 3 (or Ax-3) is a private spaceflight to the International Space Station. The flight launched on 18 January 2024[1] and is currently expected to last about 14 days.[3] It is operated by Axiom Space and uses a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.[4]

Crew

All four crewmembers have backgrounds as military pilots.[5] Michael López-Alegría is the commander as an employee of Axiom; Walter Villadei from the Italian Air Force is the mission pilot.[6] The mission specialists are Alper Gezeravcı who is the first astronaut from Turkey;[7][8] and Swedish Project Marcus Wandt, who is the first member of the 2022 European Space Agency Astronaut Group to receive a spaceflight mission. It is also "the first commercial spaceflight mission for an ESA-sponsored astronaut".[9] Wandt's component of the mission is called "Muninn"[10][11] as it overlaps with fellow-Scandinavian ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen's mission – "Huginn".[12]

Prime crew
Position Astronaut
Spacecraft commander United States / Spain Michael López-Alegría, Axiom Space
Sixth spaceflight
Pilot Italy Walter Villadei, Italian Air Force
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Turkey Alper Gezeravcı, TSA
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Sweden Marcus Wandt, SNSA / ESA
First spaceflight

Backup crew

Position Astronaut
Spacecraft commander United States Peggy Whitson, Axiom Space
Mission Specialist Turkey Tuva Cihangir Atasever, TSA

Mission

The crew lifted off on a Falcon 9 from LC-39A Florida to dock with the International Space Station for an intended mission duration of approximately two weeks.[13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Falcon 9 Block 5 - Axiom Mission 3 (AX-3)". Next Spaceflight. 9 December 2023. https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6790. 
  2. ↑ "Ax-3 Docks to Station Aboard Dragon Spacecraft - Space Station". NASA. 20 January 2024. https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2024/01/20/ax-3-docks-to-station-aboard-dragon-spacecraft/. 
  3. ↑ "NASA Selects Axiom Space for Third Private Astronaut Station Mission". NASA (Press release). 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Axiom and SpaceX sign blockbuster deal" (in en-US). https://www.axiomspace.com/press-release/axiom-spacex-deal. 
  5. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2023-10-18). "Axiom Space refines training for next private astronaut mission" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/axiom-space-refines-training-for-next-private-astronaut-mission/. 
  6. ↑ Space, Air Force and Axiom agreements on the Ax-3 mission
  7. ↑ Roulette, Joey (2022-09-21). "Exclusive: Saudi Arabia buys pair of SpaceX astronaut seats from Axiom -sources" (in en). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/exclusive-saudi-arabia-buys-pair-spacex-astronaut-seats-axiom-sources-2022-09-20/. 
  8. ↑ Pons, Juan (2022-09-28). "Saudi Arabia and Turkey compete to get a woman astronaut into orbit as soon as possible". https://atalayar.com/en/content/saudi-arabia-and-turkey-compete-get-woman-astronaut-orbit-soon-possible. Retrieved 2022-10-16. 
  9. ↑ "Axiom Space Announces Astronauts for Third Mission to ISS" (in en-US). 2023-09-12. https://www.axiomspace.com/news/ax3-astronaut-crew. 
  10. ↑ "Muninn mission patch and name" (in en). 16 June 2023. https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2023/06/Muninn_mission_patch_and_name. .
  11. ↑ "Muninn Launch kit" (in en). November 2023. https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/HRE/Muninn_launchkit.pdf. .
  12. ↑ "The Huginn mission – an overview" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/The_Huginn_mission_an_overview. 
  13. ↑ Axiom Space refines training for next private astronaut mission, 18 October 2023.



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Astronomy:Axiom_Mission_3&oldid=3352759"