On Thursday, the launch of the Ax-3 mission will take place with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will deliver a crew of Europeans to the ISS within two weeks. A Spaniard, a Turk, a Swede and an Italian will be on board.
The mission was supposed to be launched on Wednesday, but it was decided to move it to Thursday evening at 23:49 Romanian time (16:49 at the Kennedy Space Center).
The Dragon capsule, which docks with the ISS, carries four astronauts from four different countries.
Four: Michael Lopez-Alegria (who has Spanish as well as American citizenship), Walter Villadei (Italy), Alper Gezeravi (the first Turkish astronaut) and Markus Wandt (Swedish, representative of ESA).
They will spend two weeks at the ISS, where they will conduct about 30 scientific experiments and demonstrations.
Lopez-AlegrÃa is making his seventh space flight and his second with Axiom Space. According to NASA regulations, all private missions must be led by former NASA astronauts. The Italian Villadei participated in the first suborbital flight of Virgin Galactic in the summer of 2023.
The launch of the fourth Axiom Space mission is scheduled for October.
The first was launched in April 2022, and the second in May 2023.
Source: Hot News
Ben is a respected technology journalist and author, known for his in-depth coverage of the latest developments and trends in the field. He works as a writer at 247 news reel, where he is a leading voice in the industry, known for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in an accessible way. He is a go-to source for those looking to stay informed about the latest developments in the world of technology.