Yesterday, on January 17th, SpaceX revealed that the launch of Axiom Space's Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed by a day, now set for 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT) on Thursday (Jan. 18).
Why is important
The Ax-3 mission, which signifies Axiom Space's third collaboration with SpaceX for commercial space travel, aims to transport four astronauts to the ISS from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, utilizing a Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft Freedom. The scheduled liftoff is today, January 18, at 4:49 p.m. EST.
Distinguished as the initial all-European commercial astronaut mission to the ISS, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) revolutionizes the journey to low-Earth orbit for nations worldwide. This mission introduces a fresh era of opportunities for countries to engage with the international space community, facilitating access to low-Earth orbit for advancements in exploration and microgravity research.
A Crew of Four
The four-member crew consists of Michael López-Alegría (Ax-3 Commander), Walter Villadei (Ax-3 Pilot), Alper Gezeravcı (Ax-3 Mission Specialist), and Marcus Wandt (Ax-3 Mission Specialist).
Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravci is poised to become the inaugural Turkish citizen in space. Born in Silifke, Türkiye, in December 1979, Gezeravci boasts a 15-year career as a high-performance jet aircraft pilot with the Turkish Air Force, followed by seven years flying for Turkish Airlines.
Wandt, born in Hammaro, Sweden, on September 22, 1980, represents the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA has dubbed his mission "Muninn" after a raven in Norse mythology. Wandt served as a fighter pilot in the Swedish Air Force from 2003 to 2014, later becoming a test pilot for Saab Aeronautics after graduating from the United States Naval Test Pilot School. Apart from ascending to the role of chief test pilot at Saab, he also earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from Chalmers University of Technology.
The Controversy
Considerable controversy has arisen, particularly among European counterparts, regarding the commercial aspects of the mission. In Italy, many strongly opposed the decision to support Villadei due to the substantial financial investment required for his flight, especially after unsuccessful attempts to join ESA's astronaut program. Similarly, in Sweden, there was minimal popular support, as the funding provided to Axiom was deemed disproportionate to Sweden's contributions and benefits from the European Space Agency.
A notable comparison is drawn with the Czech counterpart, which opted out of Axiom's offer, redirecting their funds to domestic space research.
Key Facts
This mission marks the first crewed space mission of 2024, destined to rendezvous and dock with the ISS. Assuming a punctual launch, docking at the forward port of the Harmony module was originally scheduled for Friday, Jan. 19, at 5:15 AM EST (10:15 UTC). A revised docking schedule will accompany the rescheduled launch date.
Throughout Crew Dragon's ascent phase, designated abort zones exist for a safe splashdown in case of any issues during powered flight. Weather conditions in these zones are closely monitored, and a sufficient number must be viable for the launch to proceed.
While Axiom-3 orbits, there will be a total of 11 people aboard the ISS and three aboard the Chinese Tiangong Space Station, summing up to 14 individuals in orbit. If Virgin Galactic's next flight coincides with this mission, it would set a record with 20 people above 80 kilometers altitude for a brief period.
Return to Earth
Upon completion of Axiom-3's stay at the ISS, the spacecraft will return to Earth following the same procedures as other Crew Dragon missions, with a planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.
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