Axiom Mission 3
![]() Launch of Ax-3 on a Falcon 9 rocket | |
Names | Ax-3 |
---|---|
Mission type | Private spaceflight to the ISS |
Operator | |
COSPAR ID | 2024-014A |
SATCAT no. | 58815![]() |
Website | www |
Mission duration | 21 days, 15 hours, 41 minutes |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | Crew Dragon Freedom |
Spacecraft type | Crew Dragon |
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, 21:49:11 UTC (5:49:11 pm EST)[1] |
Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1080.5) |
Launch site | Kennedy, LC‑39A |
Contractor | SpaceX |
End of mission | |
Recovered by | MV Shannon |
Landing date | 9 February 2024, 13:30 UTC (8:30 am EST) |
Landing site | Atlantic Ocean, near Daytona Beach, Florida (29°48′N 80°42′W / 29.8°N 80.7°W) |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
Regime | Low Earth orbit |
Inclination | 51.66° |
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, 38 minutes |
![]() ![]() From left: López-Alegría, Wandt, Gezeravcı and Villadei, in black jumpsuits |
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]
Crew
[edit]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 | |
---|---|---|
Commander | ![]() ![]() Sixth spaceflight | |
Pilot | ![]() Second spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 1 | ![]() First spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist 2 | ![]() First spaceflight |
Position | Astronaut | |
---|---|---|
Commander | ![]() | |
Mission Specialist | ![]() |
Mission
[edit]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.
Gallery
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Falcon 9 Block 5 - Axiom Mission 3 (AX-3)". Next Spaceflight. December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ "Ax-3 Docks to Station Aboard Dragon Spacecraft - Space Station". NASA. January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "NASA Selects Axiom Space for Third Private Astronaut Station Mission". NASA (Press release). March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "Axiom and SpaceX sign blockbuster deal". Axiom Space. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Jones, Caleb. "Space Launch Now - B1080". Space Launch Now. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (October 18, 2023). "Axiom Space refines training for next private astronaut mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ Space, Air Force and Axiom agreements on the Ax-3 mission
- ^ Roulette, Joey (September 21, 2022). "Exclusive: Saudi Arabia buys pair of SpaceX astronaut seats from Axiom -sources". Reuters. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Axiom Space Announces Astronauts for Third Mission to ISS". Axiom Space. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "Muninn mission patch and name". European Space Agency. June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023..
- ^ "Muninn Launch kit" (PDF). European Space Agency. November 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2024..
- ^ "The Huginn mission – an overview". www.esa.int. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ Axiom Space refines training for next private astronaut mission, 18 October 2023.