According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), this is the first commercial spaceflight to send a crew of entirely European astronauts to the ISS.
On January 20, the crew, which includes Europe’s first astronaut from Turkey, arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a mission conducted by Axiom Space, a commercial aerospace company, and SpaceX.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft with the crew for the Axiom Mission 3 launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 18. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN)
The mission is called Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). This is the third private spaceflight mission launched to the ISS by Axiom Space and SpaceX.
According to NASA, this marks the first commercial spaceflight to send a crew of entirely European astronauts to the ISS. The Dragon spacecraft “docked” with the ISS at 10:43 GMT (17:43 Vietnam time).
According to Axiom Space’s website, after a journey lasting approximately 36 hours, the spacecraft arrived at the ISS, which is orbiting about 420 km above Earth.
The crew participating in Ax-3 includes Mr. Michael López-Alegría (holding dual citizenship from the USA and Spain) – the mission commander, pilot Walter Villadei from the Italian Air Force, and two astronauts Alper Gezeravci (Turkey) and Marcus Wandt (Sweden).
According to NASA, during this approximately 14-day mission on the ISS, the crew members are expected to conduct over 30 scientific experiments, many of which focus on the effects of microgravity on human health.
Axiom Space states that this mission marks a new era, providing opportunities for countries to participate in the international space community and access low Earth orbit to promote exploration and research in microgravity.
According to Axiom Space, data collected on the ground before and after the mission, as well as during the journey, will contribute to insights about science, life on Earth and in orbit, and support the development of the industry and technology for the future.
In May 2023, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched a crewed private spacecraft for the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) to the ISS.
