Axiom Mission 3

"Ax-3" redirects here. For other topics, see AX3.

Axiom Mission 3

Launch of Ax-3 on a Falcon 9 rocket
Names	Ax-3
Mission type	Private spaceflight to the ISS
Operator	Axiom Space SpaceX
COSPAR ID	2024-014A
SATCAT no.	58815
Website	www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax3
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	Michael López-Alegría Walter Villadei Alper Gezeravcı Marcus Wandt
Start of mission
Launch date	18 January 2024, 21:49:11 (2024-01-18UTC21:49:11Z)  UTC (5:49:11 pm  EST) [1]
Rocket	Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1080.5), Flight 291
Launch site	Kennedy, LC‑39A
Contractor	SpaceX
End of mission
Recovered by	MV Shannon
Landing date	9 February 2024, 13:30 (2024-02-09UTC13:31Z) UTC (8:30 am EST)
Landing site	Atlantic Ocean, near Daytona Beach, Florida ( 29°48′N80°42′W / 29.8°N 80.7°W / 29.8; -80.7 )
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 Space missions ←  Axiom Mission 2 Axiom Mission 4  → Crew Dragon flights ←  SpaceX Crew-7 SpaceX Crew-8  →

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

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]

Prime crew

Position	Astronaut
Commander	/  Michael López-Alegría, Axiom Space Sixth spaceflight
Pilot	Walter Villadei, AM Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1	Alper Gezeravcı, TUA Only spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2	Marcus Wandt, SNSA  /  ESA Only spaceflight

Backup crew

Position	Astronaut
Commander	Peggy Whitson, Axiom Space
Mission Specialist	Tuva Cihangir Atasever, TUA

Mission

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

Axiom Mission 3

• 
  Launch of Axiom-3
• 
  Axiom-3 approaching the ISS
• 
  Axiom-3 docked to the ISS

References

1. "Falcon 9 Block 5 - Axiom Mission 3 (AX-3)". Next Spaceflight. December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
2. "Ax-3 Docks to Station Aboard Dragon Spacecraft - Space Station". NASA. January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
3. "NASA Selects Axiom Space for Third Private Astronaut Station Mission". NASA (Press release). March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
4. "Axiom and SpaceX sign blockbuster deal". Axiom Space. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
5. Jones, Caleb. "Space Launch Now - B1080". Space Launch Now. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
6. Foust, Jeff (October 18, 2023). "Axiom Space refines training for next private astronaut mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
7. Space, Air Force and Axiom agreements on the Ax-3 mission
8. Roulette, Joey (September 21, 2022). "Exclusive: Saudi Arabia buys pair of SpaceX astronaut seats from Axiom -sources". Reuters. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
9. 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.
10. "Axiom Space Announces Astronauts for Third Mission to ISS". Axiom Space. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
11. "Muninn mission patch and name". European Space Agency . June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023..
12. "Muninn Launch kit" (PDF). European Space Agency . November 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2024..
13. "The Huginn mission – an overview". www.esa.int. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
14. Axiom Space refines training for next private astronaut mission, 18 October 2023.