The SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom was docked at the ISS by four Ax-3 crew. The Axiom Space-organized private mission, with an all-European crew, doubles the number of nations on the ISS from four to eight.
All-European Ax-3 Astronauts Successfully Dock at ISS for 2-Week Mission
On the Ax-3 crew, mission commander Michael “L.A.” López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei from Italy, expert Alper Gezeravcı from Turkey, and specialist Marcus Wandt from Sweden. The crew will undertake two weeks of scientific research on the ISS before returning to Earth on a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Before docking with the ISS Harmony module, the Ax-3 mission launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and orbited for 36 hours. Axiom Space, NASA, and others want to increase human access to low Earth orbit. To involve many nations and individuals in scientific research and development on the orbiting lab, the Ax-3 mission represents worldwide collaboration and inclusivity.
Commander Andreas Morgensen underlined human spaceflight’s exciting future and the mission’s commitment to international collaboration during a televised ISS welcome ceremony. The crew’s arrival symbolizes attempts to give nations and individuals access to low Earth orbit. With its diversified crew, the ISS promotes space study and exploration.
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Ax-3 Astronauts Embark on Pioneering Microgravity Experiments During 2-Week Mission at ISS
The Ax-3 crew will live and work on the ISS with the current residents, participating in robotics experiments with high-strength alloys, Vokalkord, an AI-based health diagnostic experiment from Turkey, and physics, biology, and microgravity studies. The crew’s research on human spaceflight, habitability, and cutting-edge microgravity experiments on the ISS continues.
The Ax-3 mission is a collaboration to further space science. Recognizing the importance of their journey, the astronauts thanked everyone who supported their training and mission preparations. The mission supports Axiom Space’s goal of creating a private space station and expanding scientific knowledge.