Axiom Mission 3

Axiom Mission 3 (or Ax-3) is a planned private spaceflight to the International Space Station. The flight, scheduled to launch no earlier than January 2024,[1] and expected to last about 14 days,[2] will be operated by Axiom Space and be using a Crew Dragon spacecraft.[3]

"Ax-3" redirects here. For other topics, see AX3.
Axiom Mission 3
Artists' impression of a Crew Dragon approaching the forward port of Harmony on the ISS
NamesAx-3
Mission typePrivate spaceflight to the ISS
OperatorAxiom Space
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeCrew Dragon
ManufacturerSpaceX
Launch mass12,519 kg (27,600 lb)
Landing mass9,616 kg (21,200 lb)
Crew
Crew size4
Members
Start of mission
Launch dateNET January 2024[1]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
Launch siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39A
ContractorSpaceX
End of mission
Landing date2024 (planned)
Landing siteAtlantic Ocean
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony forward or zenith
Axiom 3 mission insignia
 

Crew

All four members of the crew have backgrounds as military pilots.[4] Michael López-Alegría will be the commander as an employee of Axiom; Walter Villadei from the Italian Air Force will be the mission pilot.[5] The mission specialists are Alper Gezeravcı who will be the first astronaut from Turkey;[6][7] and Swedish Marcus Wandt 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".[1] Wandt's component of the mission is called "Muninn"[8] as it will overlap with fellow-Scandinavian ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen's mission – "Huginn".[9]

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

Mission

The flight will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to dock with the International Space Station with an intended duration of two weeks.

References
  1. "Axiom Space Announces Astronauts for Third Mission to ISS". Axiom Space. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  2. "NASA Selects Axiom Space for Third Private Astronaut Station Mission". NASA (Press release). March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  3. "Axiom and SpaceX sign blockbuster deal". Axiom Space. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  4. Foust, Jeff (October 18, 2023). "Axiom Space refines training for next private astronaut mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  5. Space, Air Force and Axiom agreements on the Ax-3 mission
  6. Roulette, Joey (September 21, 2022). "Exclusive: Saudi Arabia buys pair of SpaceX astronaut seats from Axiom -sources". Reuters. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  7. Pons, Juan (September 28, 2022). "Saudi Arabia and Turkey compete to get a woman astronaut into orbit as soon as possible". Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  8. "Muninn mission patch and name". Agence spatiale européenne. June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023..
  9. "The Huginn mission – an overview". www.esa.int. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.