The third Axiom private mission will take off from Kennedy Space Center This evening. On board, four astronauts, who will join the International Space Station for two weeks. The company is touting a first “entirely European” crew, although it’s not that simple. Overview.
First of all, you may not be familiar with Axiom Space’s private orbital missions. The company is still a young start, founded in 2016 by the former head of NASA responsible for the ISS. With the rise of private capsules, Michael Suffredini managed to set up a new business, and it was a success. The American agency has thus agreed to periodically receive visitors, when the schedule allows one to two weeks for the docking of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Places sell quickly, and it’s not just a matter of “space tourism”, in reality the most eager customers are small space agencies, which do not have the means for long-term programs, or who wish to send their astronauts for prestigious missions and/or with specific experiences. To obtain NASA’s agreement, Axiom requires one accompanying astronaut per mission, who must already have experience on the ISS.
An amazing crew
For this third Axiom mission after those of 2022 and 2023, Axiom Space has assembled a fairly unique crew. The company even mentions “ the first entirely European mission “. So on this point, there will be debate. Firstly because the commander of Axiom 3, Michael Lopez Alegria, has dual American and Spanish nationality (he was born in Madrid, his father is Spanish), but so far it is good with the American flag on the shoulder he went into orbit.
He also has extraordinary experience with 3 missions in the STS shuttle, one in Soyuz and now, two in Crew Dragon. He is even the very first to fly twice in the SpaceX capsule, but on two different capsules. Another participant in this flight, who will undoubtedly reignite the argument about who is European and who is not, Alper Gezeravci, the first astronaut from his country, Turkey. Note that its presence at Axiom is an American diplomatic victory: before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Turkey had an agreement to send its first space traveler on Soyuz…
Europeans, but not all from the ESA
Third crew member, the Italian Walter Villadei who pilots the Crew Dragon capsule. The latter also has a separate status, since he is an Italian astronaut, but not from ESA. Trained by his country at the expense of the national agency (ASI), he has a unique experience in addition to his colleagues, having to his credit a parabolic flight with Virgin Galactic at an altitude of more than 80 km carried out in 2023.
Finally, the Crew Dragon capsule will host Swedish astronaut Marcus Wandt. He is the only European of the lot to be from ESA, and he is the first astronaut of the new class of 2022 to fly, as a specialist (and not a career astronaut) for the Muninn mission. Note, however, that its participation in this Axiom-3 flight was largely pushed by the Swedish space agency, helped by the national private sector.
A short mission and prestige
With these 4 very special participants, the Crew Dragon capsule should take off this January 18 at 10:49 p.m. (Paris) with Falcon 9. It will only take them about ten minutes to reach orbit (the first stage of the rocket , he returns to land) after which it will take them approximately 36 hours to reach the International Space Station. They will be welcomed there by another European from ESA, the Danish Andreas Mogensen, who currently heads the orbital station, and will begin their two-week mission.
Their tasks will be divided between scientific experiments, communication in particular with young people from their respective countries, as well as physical and medical activity. Their return is currently scheduled for February 2. As for the number of Europeans in space, it is a record. But then, 3, 4, 5 Europeans? Everyone will do their part, as usual, but for once there will be more than Americans, Russians or Chinese.
Source : Space News
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