Axiom - 3 Bound for the International Space Station

Kennedy Space Center, FL. – After a one day delay to allow for additional time to review final preparations for launch, the Axiom 3 (Ax-3) mission is bound for the International Space Station (I.S.S.). Liftoff came at 4:49 PM EST on January 18, 2024 from Launch Complex 39-A. This mission crewed mission, the third for Axiom Space has an all European commercial crew of astronauts representing four separate European nations.

The astronaut crew comprises of:

Michael Lopez-Alegria – Commander of Ax-3 and Ax-1 and flew to space on one Soyuz flight and three Space Shuttle missions to the I.S.S. Michael was born in Spain and he immigrated to the United States with his family when he was still young.

Walter Villadei – Ax-3 Pilot: Walter was born in Rome Italy, he is an officer in the Italian Air Force and he previously flew aboard Virgin Galactic Unity 23.

Alper Gezeravci – Ax-3 Mission Specialist: Alper is an officer and Air Force pilot from the Republic of Turkiye.

Marcus Wandt – Ax-3 Mission Specialist: Marcus is an officer and Air Force pilot form the Nation of Sweden.

This crew of Astronauts will be traveling to the I.S.S. aboard the Dragon Crew capsule “Freedom”. The Dragon “Freedom” capsule previously flew the Crew-4 mission as well as the Ax-2 mission to the I.S.S.

In a statement from NASA: “Congratulations to Axiom and SpaceX on a successful launch! Together with our commercial partners, NASA is supporting a growing commercial space economy and the future of space technology,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “During their time aboard the International Space Station, the Ax-3 astronauts will carry out more than 30 scientific experiments that will help advance research in low-Earth orbit. As the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the space station, the Ax-3 crew is proof that the possibility of space unites us all.”

Once Dragon “Freedom” arrives at the I.S.S., it will be docking at the Harmony portion of the station. At present, the Ax-3 crew is slated to stay aboard for a planned two week period conducting a variety of experiments on the orbiting space station before returning to Earth and a splashdown off the Florida coast.

Shortly, after launch, the first stage booster made a successful landing at Landing Zone -1 at Cape Canaveral S.F.S.

Image Credits: Michael Howard, Michael Seeley and Graham Smith -