Arriving early on Saturday, a four-person crew, comprising Turkey’s first astronaut, will spend two weeks aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This mission is the most recent to be planned entirely at commercial expense by Texas-based startup business Axiom Space.
Table of Contents
Information about Launch of the Axiom Space Mission:
The Axiom Three took off in a rocketship on Thursday night from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and met up approximately 37 hours later.
Since they were part of the first two Axiom flights to the ISS since 2022, Elon Musk’s SpaceX provided, launched, and operated both the Crew Dragon vessel and the Falcon 9 rocket that lifted it into orbit under a contract with Axiom. The astronauts are under the control of NASA’s mission control office in Houston after they arrive at the space station.
Timeline of the Space Mission:
A live NASA webcast demonstrated how the Crew Dragon autonomously connected with the ISS at 5:42 a.m. EDT (1042 GMT) while the two spacecraft were traveling about 250 miles (400 km) above the South Pacific.
Together, they were traveling at a hypersonic speed of roughly 17,500 miles per hour (28,200 km/h) around the earth in tandem.
After connection was accomplished, it was anticipated that it would take roughly two hours to pressurize and inspect the sealed hatchway connecting the crew capsule to the space station so that the recently arrived astronauts could board the orbiting laboratory.
What is Axiom?
The Houston-based company Axiom was founded eight years ago and has made a name for itself serving wealthy private clients and foreign governments who want to launch their own people into orbit. The business charges at least $55 million per seat for the services it provides in terms of preparing, preparing, and outfitting clients for space travel.
Axiom is among the few businesses constructing a commercial space station that is meant to eventually take the place of the International Space Station (ISS), which NASA anticipates to be retired by 2030.
All the Crew present in this Mission:
Lopez-Alegria, a veteran NASA astronaut of Spanish descent who currently works as an executive at Axiom, headed the Ax-3 crew. Colonel Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force served as his second-in-command. Alongside them were veteran of the Turkish air force Alper Gezeravci, who represented the Turkish Space Agency and became his nation’s first astronaut, and Swedish aviator Marcus Wandt, who represented the European Space Agency.
The seven crew members who were already on board the ISS greeted the Ax-3 crew with embraces. They are from Denmark, Japan, Russia, and the United States.
ISS was launched into orbit in 1998 and has been continually occupied since 2000 by a collaboration led by the United States and Russia, which also includes Canada, Japan, and eleven European Space Agency member nations.
Also Read: Japan Makes History becomes 5th Country to Land Spacecraft on Moon
FAQs:
1) What role does Turkey’s first astronaut play in the latest mission?
The recent trip, which saw Turkey’s first astronaut arrive at the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a privately-coordinated mission, is noteworthy since it marks the country’s entry into manned space exploration.
2) Who helped the Turkish astronaut go to the International Space Station?
The mission was organized by the Texas-based company Axiom Space, and it began from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on a rocketship donated by SpaceX and bound for the International Space Station.
3) Who is the Turkish astronaut joining and how long will they be staying at the International Space Station?
The Turkish astronaut, a former pilot in the Turkish Air Force, will join an international team under the leadership of a former NASA astronaut during his two-week stay at the International Space Station.
4) What kinds of research will the crew carry out while residing at the International Space Station?
A number of scientific investigations will be carried out by the crew, with an emphasis on the potential effects of space travel on biology.
5) Who else is on board with Alper Gezeravci’s crew?
Michael López-Alegría serves as the mission commander, Walter Villadei of Italy serves as the pilot, and Marcus Wandt of Sweden serves as a mission expert.