Military Space News
SPACE TRAVEL
Four astronauts splash down after Axiom private mission
Four astronauts splash down after Axiom private mission
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Feb 10, 2024
An all-European quartet of astronauts, including Turkey's first, splashed down off the Florida coast on Friday morning, completing Axiom Space's third private mission to the International Space Station.

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) was the company's first launch where all three paid seats were bought by national agencies rather than wealthy individuals.

A live stream showed a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule named "Freedom" float down on parachutes to the Atlantic Ocean, where it was intercepted and brought aboard a recovery boat.

"I am very proud of my Ax-3 crewmates who helped their agencies achieve all of their science objectives, technology demonstrations and outreach events," Axiom's Chief Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, a Spanish and US citizen and former NASA astronaut said in a farewell ceremony before the crew headed back to Earth.

The mission was initially meant to last two weeks, but the return journey was delayed by several days owing to bad weather, resulting in an 18 day stay on the ISS.

Lopez-Alegria was joined by Turkish pilot and air force colonel Alper Gezeravci, Walter Villadei, an Italian air force colonel who had previously flown to the edge of space on a Virgin Galactic space plane, and Marcus Wandt from Sweden, who was also representing the European Space Agency.

Nations with smaller space programs are increasingly turning to the private sector to fulfill their space ambitions, with Turkey in particular hailing the mission as a sign of its growing stature on the world stage.

The crew carried out 30 experiments, learning more about the impact of microgravity on the human body, advancing industrial processes and more.

Axiom Space was founded in 2016 by Michael Suffredini, a former ISS program manager for NASA, and entrepreneur Kam Ghaffarian.

In addition to organizing private missions to the orbital outpost, the company is developing spacesuits for future NASA missions to the Moon.

It is also building a commercial space station that it intends to initially attach to the ISS, then separate and orbit independently sometime before the ISS is retired.

The exact costs of the Ax-3 have not been disclosed, but in 2018 when the company first announced the program, which involves chartering SpaceX hardware and paying NASA for services, it set a price tag of $55 million per seat.

More recently, Hungary was reported by spacenews.com to be planning a $100 million deal with Axiom for a future mission involving one astronaut.

Britain, which is striving to build a post-Brexit space strategy, has also signed an agreement for a future mission carrying UK astronauts.

Related Links
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SPACE TRAVEL
NASA's latest experiments aboard ISS aim to boost life in space
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 01, 2024
NASA's Biological and Physical Sciences Division is embarking on a new journey to enhance life beyond Earth with the launch of three pivotal experiments to the International Space Station (ISS). These experiments, part of Northrop Grumman's 20th commercial resupply services mission, are set to pioneer scientific discovery in the realms of physical sciences and space biology, paving the way for sustainable deep space exploration and transformative engineering. The launch is earmarked for no earlier than ... read more

SPACE TRAVEL
Aerojet Rocketdyne Powers Key U.S. Missile Defense Test with Advanced MRBM Target

THAAD Localization Efforts Align with Saudi Vision 2030 Objectives

Northrop Grumman Advances Homeland Defense with Early NGI Milestone

U.S. hits two more Houthi missiles in ninth Yemen attack

SPACE TRAVEL
US strikes Huthi missile positions in Yemen: CENTCOM

NKorea's Kim oversaw test of cruise missiles launched from submarine: state media

North Korea tested new submarine-launched cruise missile

Russia has launched North Korean missiles at least 9 times in Ukraine: U.S. diplomat

SPACE TRAVEL
LIDS: The Army's Answer to Evolving Unmanned Aircraft Threats

Iraq condemns U.S. drone strike as 'clear aggression,' violation of sovereignty

DARPA's REMA Program Revolutionizes Commercial Drone Autonomy for Military Use

US vows decisive response to deadly drone attack in Jordan

SPACE TRAVEL
Space Force initiates MUOS Service Life Extension with Lockheed Martin design contract

Government Connectivity Enters New Era: MetTel and Partners Highlight LEO Satellite Solutions

General Atomics to Showcase Optical Communication Terminals in Space with SDA Contract

L3Harris Technologies showcases Waveform X capabilities in live flight demonstration

SPACE TRAVEL
Northrop Grumman to Revolutionize Space Missions with Next-Gen Cryocoolers

The US 'can and will' deliver more Ukraine aid: top advisor

Ukraine urges EU to speed up artillery shell supplies

Curtiss-Wright Unveils New Rugged SFF Mission Computer for Harsh Environments

SPACE TRAVEL
NATO chief calls on Europe to ramp up arms production

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell visits Ukraine after bloc approves $54B in aid

Russia stops Ecuador banana imports after US arms deal

House fails to pass GOP-led Israel aid bill

SPACE TRAVEL
Biden slaps new int'l law requirements on nations receiving U.S. military aid

End of US aid to Ukraine a 'gift to Putin,' warns Clinton

Xi and Putin accuse US of 'interference' in call

Senate advances standalone $95B foreign aid package but more hurdles lie ahead

SPACE TRAVEL
MIT.nano equipment to accelerate innovation in "tough tech" sectors

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2026 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.