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Launch of Axiom-3
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Axiom-3 approaching the ISS
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Axiom-3 docked to the ISS
Axiom Mission 3 (or Ax-3) was a private spaceflight to the International Space Station. The flight launched on 18 January 2024,[1] and lasted for 21 days, successfully splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.[3] It was operated by Axiom Space and used a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.[4] The booster, B1080, had previously flown Axiom-2, among other high-profile missions.[5]
Names | Ax-3 |
---|---|
Mission type | Private spaceflight to the ISS |
Operator | Axiom Space |
COSPAR ID | 2024-014A |
SATCAT no. | 58815 |
Mission duration | 21 days, 15 hours and 41 minutes |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Crew Dragon Freedom |
Manufacturer | SpaceX |
Launch mass | 12,519 kg (27,600 lb) |
Landing mass | 9,616 kg (21,200 lb) |
Crew | |
Crew size | 4 |
Members | |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 18 January 2024 21:49 UTC[1] |
Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1080.5) |
Launch site | Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A |
Contractor | SpaceX |
End of mission | |
Recovered by | MV Shannon |
Landing date | 9 February 2024, 13:30 UTC |
Landing site | Atlantic Ocean |
Docking with ISS | |
Docking port | Harmony forward |
Docking date | 20 January 2024, 10:42 UTC[2] |
Undocking date | 7 February 2024, 14:20 UTC |
Time docked | 18 days, 3 hours and 38 minutes |
(L-R) López-Alegría, Wandt, Gezeravcı, Villadei, in black jumpsuits |
All four crewmembers have backgrounds as military pilots.[6] Michael López-Alegría was the commander as an employee of Axiom; Walter Villadei from the Italian Air Force was the mission pilot.[7] The mission specialists were Alper Gezeravcı who was the first astronaut from Turkey;[8][9] and Swedish project astronaut Marcus Wandt ("project astronaut" is ESA's designation for an astronaut assigned to a project), who was the first member of the 2022 European Space Agency Astronaut Group to receive a spaceflight mission. It was also the first commercial spaceflight mission for an ESA sponsored astronaut.[10] Wandt's component of the mission is called "Muninn"[11][12] as it overlaps with fellow Scandinavian ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen's mission – "Huginn".[13]
Position | Astronaut | |
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Spacecraft commander | / Michael López-Alegría, Axiom Space Sixth spaceflight | |
Pilot | Walter Villadei, AM Second spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 1 | Alper Gezeravcı, TSA First spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 2 | Marcus Wandt, SNSA / ESA First spaceflight |
Position | Astronaut | |
---|---|---|
Spacecraft commander | Peggy Whitson, Axiom Space | |
Mission Specialist | Tuva Cihangir Atasever, TSA |
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.[14] Final mission duration was 21 days; mission ended with a splashdown into the Atlantic Ocean on 9 February 2024.