Axiom-3 Prepared to Launch Multinational Crew to the International Space Station (ISS)

With the Axiom-3 mission just days away from launching, excitement is building as a multinational crew prepares to embark on a journey to the International Space Station (ISS). This private mission, organized by Axiom Space, will feature crew members representing five different countries, four of which are in Europe. Scheduled to launch from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center, the mission will mark the first crewed space mission of 2024.

The Axiom-3 mission will be launched using the Falcon 9 B1080-5 rocket, accompanied by the Crew Dragon C212 Freedom spacecraft. The launch is set to take place at 5:11 PM EST on Wednesday, Jan. 17, with docking at the ISS scheduled for Friday, Jan. 19, at 5:15 AM EST. This trajectory will allow the spacecraft to rendezvous and dock with the ISS at the forward port of the Harmony module.

One significant aspect of this mission is the planned return-to-launch-site (RTLS) landing of the Falcon 9 B1080-5 rocket. This landing, which will take place at Landing Zone 1, aims to minimize the use of marine assets in light of maintenance work being carried out on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions in Charleston, South Carolina.

As the crew Dragon ascends into space, there are designated abort zones that provide a safe splashdown location in case an issue arises during powered flight. The weather conditions in these zones are closely monitored, and the launch can only proceed if enough zones are deemed usable. The 45th Weather Squadron of the United States Space Force (USSF) has recently released a launch forecast for the Axiom-3 mission, predicting a low probability of violation of launch criteria, particularly with regards to the cumulus cloud rule.

The crew for this mission is led by Michael Lopez-Alegria, an astronaut with dual US and Spanish citizenship. With multiple Space Shuttle and ISS missions under his belt, Lopez-Alegria brings a wealth of experience to the mission. He served as commander of the Axiom-1 flight, the first wholly private mission to the ISS. Born in Madrid, Spain, Lopez-Alegria is now a commercial astronaut working for Axiom Space, making this his sixth overall spaceflight.

Joining Lopez-Alegria is Italian Air Force Colonel Walter Villadei, who will serve as the pilot for the Axiom-3 mission. Villadei holds a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and a specialization in astronautical engineering. He underwent cosmonaut training at Star City in Russia and earned his cosmonaut wings in 2012. Villadei is currently the head of the Space Policy and Operations Office in the Air Staff’s Space Policy Office.

Rounding out the crew are mission specialist Alper Gezeravci from Turkey and mission specialist Marcus Wandt representing the European Space Agency (ESA). Gezeravci, a veteran pilot with the Turkish Air Force and Turkish Airlines, will become the first Turkish citizen to fly to space. Wandt, a former fighter pilot in the Swedish Air Force, brings his expertise as a test pilot for Saab Aeronautics to the Axiom-3 mission.

During their time aboard the ISS, the Axiom-3 crew will conduct over 30 experiments. These experiments cover a wide range of topics, including food consumption in space, radiation shielding, ovarian function in microgravity, Turkish plant experiments involving CRISPR gene editing, and biological experiments on the astronauts themselves. These experiments aim to further our understanding of life and technology in space.

The mission is expected to last approximately two weeks, with the crew returning to Earth using one of the splashdown sites in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. A successful completion of the Axiom-3 mission will not only contribute to scientific knowledge but also pave the way for future private space exploration and collaboration between nations.

As we eagerly await the launch of Axiom-3, the multinational crew embarks on a journey that will push the boundaries of human exploration and scientific discovery. Their mission represents a significant milestone in private space travel and serves as a testament to the power of international cooperation in advancing our knowledge of the universe.