Daily Archives: January 21, 2024

Updated 11:50 a.m. Eastern with one-day delay.

WASHINGTON Axiom Space is set to launch its third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, although technical issues have compressed the timeline for launch preparations and may have led to a one-day delay.

During a media teleconference Jan. 16, officials from Axiom, NASA and SpaceX said they were proceeding with a planned Jan. 17 launch of the Ax-3 mission to the ISS. A Falcon 9 was scheduled to lift off at 5:11 p.m. Eastern and place a Crew Dragon spacecraft into orbit that will dock with the station about 36 hours later.

However, SpaceX announced less than six hours before liftoff that it was postponing the launch a day to provide more time to complete pre-launch checkouts and data analysis on the vehicle. The company did not elaborate on what issue or issues required the additional time. Launch is now scheduled for 4:49 p.m. Eastern Jan. 18.

That media briefing was intended to take place after the completion of the launch readiness review, the final major review before launch. However, officials said on the call they had postponed that review to early Jan. 17 to give teams more time to complete preparations for the launch.

That work was affected by inspections over the weekend that found issues with joints that connect the Dragon spacecraft to the Falcon 9 upper stage. Two of the four joints were tightened with torques a little out of family, said Benji Reed, senior director of human spaceflight programs at SpaceX. He did not say if they were too tight or too loose.

SpaceX decided to replace the connections out of an abundance of caution, he said, a process that delayed other launch preparations. While SpaceX and Axiom had planned to perform a dry dress rehearsal, or walkthrough of launch preparations for the crew, on Jan. 15, that was delayed a day.

Reed said SpaceX compressed the schedule of preparations to prevent a delay, including postponing the launch readiness review to the morning of the launch. They worked hard through the weekend to keep the launch on Wednesday, he said of launch teams. Right now were on track.

A second issue found during preparations for the launch involves the parachute system. Reed said that inspections of the parachutes from the CRS-29 cargo Dragon spacecraft that splashed down Dec. 22 found evidence that straps known as energy modulators did not work as designed. The straps, stitched together, are designed to regulate the load on the main parachutes as they are extracted from the capsule by pulling apart.

On the CRS-29 splashdown, some of the stitching did not break apart as designed, resulting in a higher load on the main parachutes. That did not affect the performance of the parachutes, but Reed said SpaceX concluded the problem could be explained if the energy modulator straps are twisted during installation.

Technicians went into the parachute system installed on the Ax-3 Crew Dragon spacecraft and untwisted energy modulators in them. Reed said SpaceX is working with NASA to confirm that twisting can explain what was seen on CRS-29. Were ready to fly.

The mission is the third in a series of private astronaut missions by Axiom Space intended to serve as precursors to commercial modules the company plans to install on the ISS, which in turn will form the core of a future standalone commercial space station after the retirement of the ISS.

Derek Hassmann, chief of mission integration and operations at Axiom, said at the briefing that the company wants to continue flying such missions at a rate of twice a year until its first module is installed in late 2026. The next mission, Ax-4, is tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2024, said Dana Weigel, deputy manager of the ISS program at NASA.

Ax-3 is commanded by Michael Lpez-Alegra, a former NASA astronaut who is now Axioms chief astronaut. Walter Villadei, an Italian Air Force officer, will be the missions pilot. He served as the backup pilot for Ax-2 in May 2023 and also flew on the first Virgin Galactic commercial suborbital mission in June 2023.

The Ax-3 mission specialists are Alper Gezeravc of Turkey and Marcus Wandt of Sweden. Gezeravc will be the first person from Turkey to go to space and Wandt the second from Sweden. The European Space Agency, working with the Swedish space agency, arranged from the flight of Wandt, who was selected as an ESA reserve astronaut in 2022.

While the other three members of Ax-3 will be making their first trips to orbit, the flight will be the sixth for Lpez-Alegra, who previously flew on three shuttle missions and one long-duration ISS mission as a NASA astronaut before commanding the Ax-1 mission in 2022.

Its a dream come true for me, he said at a Jan. 11 briefing when asked how much longer he wants to fly to space. As long as they ask me to fly, my hand will be raised.

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Third Axiom Space private astronaut mission ready for launch - SpaceNews

After one days delay, SpaceX on Thursday, January 18 launched Falcon 9sAxiom Spaces Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 4:49 p.m. ET.

Wednesdays launch was delayed due to concerns Axiom had.

The Axiom statement said some of the needed analysis was with the parachute system energy modulator. It sounds like there are some concerns still to make sure that the parachutes are ready to safely return the capsule to the Earth at the end of the mission.

SpaceX is targeting no earlier than Thursday, January 18 for Falcon 9s launch of Axiom Spaces Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 4:49 p.m. ET. If needed, an additional opportunity is available on Saturday, January 20 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about two hours prior to launch. Watch live.

Safety is a big concern on any launch, and even more so with astronauts onboard, according to Dr. Don Platt of Florida Tech.

Certainly, for a human mission, they are going to want to make sure that every i is dotted and t is crossed. So, if theres some technical data that has not been closed out here, they definitely want to make sure that they are good to go before they put people on a rocket, Platt said.

The Axiom statement said some of the needed analysis was with the parachute system energy modulator. It sounds like there are some concerns still to make sure that the parachutes are ready to safely return the capsule to the Earth at the end of the mission, added Dr. Platt.

The additional time allows teams to complete pre-launch checkouts and data analysis on the vehicle, SpaceX officials announced in a tweet.

Weather should remain favorable at the Cape. The Space Forces 45th Weather Squadron has pegged the odds of go for launch weather for this backup chance at 80%.

Primary concerns include cumulus clouds, precipitation and weather conditions along the rockets ascent corridor in case the Dragon crew capsule has to abort and eject from the second stage.

The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew Crew-4 and Ax-2 to and from the space station. Following stage separation, Falcon 9s first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct more than 30 scientific experiments and demonstrations focused on human physiology and technological industrial advancements.

SpaceX is targeting no earlier than Wednesday, January 17 for Falcon 9s launch of Axiom Spaces Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 5:11 p.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available on Thursday, January 18 at 4:49 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about two hours prior to launch. Watch live.

The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew Crew-4 and Ax-2 to and from the space station. Following stage separation, Falcon 9s first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct more than 30 scientific experiments and demonstrations focused on human physiology and technological industrial advancements.

Mission patches are a symbolic expression of the mission objectives and a time-honored tradition dating back to the 1960s with the NASA Gemini program. They are designed and worn by the astronauts and people affiliated with each mission. Axiom Space continues the tradition with its commercial astronaut missions.

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) patch is shaped as a shield to illustrate strength and courage. The International Space Station (ISS) is centered and angled to be seen as aviator wings, symbolizing four astronauts piloting toward growth in low-Earth orbit (LEO) through the spirit of exploration and collaboration.

The Ax-3 crew is included at the forefront of the mission patch. The names of each crew member are seen in alphabetical order with flags of the countries they represent. The four stars next to the names represent the four European nations on the Ax-3 missionSpain (Commander Lpez-Alegra as a dual citizen of the U.S. and Spain), Trkiye, Italy, and Sweden.

The tiled Earth is shown with longitude and latitude lines to highlight the new frontier that the crew will explore and celebrate the power of bridging cultural divides to advance human knowledge and prosperity.

Located on the tiled Earth, toward the base of the patch, the number 100 denotes centennial milestones for Trkiye and Italy. Ax-3 will be a symbolic mission for Trkiye as the nation reflects on changes and progress made in the past century to advance economic development, education and technology, and the countrys global influence, now in space. This year, on March 28, 2023, the Italian Air Force celebrated its centennial anniversary as one of the oldest air forces in the world. This mission will serve as an opportunity to celebrate the Italian Air Forces contribution to global security and stability.

The number 500 represents ajubilee year for Sweden as the countrycelebratedfive centuriesas anindependentnation on June 6, 2023. The second Swedish ESA astronaut in history will fly to the space station during the Ax-3 mission, embodying opportunity and freedom to explore the unknown.

Located around the bottom edges of the patch, the missions moto Further, Beyond is written in Latin (PLVS VLTRA).

Ax-3 is the third commercial astronaut mission to the ISS and will carry the first crew of all-European national astronauts. With this crew, Europe is taking a visionary, leadership role in the future of commercial space.

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UPDATE 2: Success as SpaceX transports first humans for 2024 with Axiom's first all European commercial astronauts ... - SatNews

SpaceX continues to come under fire from environmentalists who say the companys actions are putting South Texas wildlife and the environment at risk.

The aerospace company has conducted several launches of its Starship in Boca Chica, Texas. April 2023 marked the first near-orbital test of the spacecraft, which is being called the most powerful rocket ever built.

However, the rocket exploded apparently a planned occurrence and its launch kicked up a cloud of debris that settled on a town six miles away and caused forces similar to an earthquake.

It was truly terrifying, one local resident told The New York Times.

The rockets engines also tore up part of the concrete launch pad, and chunks of concrete from the pad flew through the air, damaging a parked car in a nearby town.

SpaceX appeared to recognize it had to do better and made adjustments to its launchpad and added a wall for Starships November 2023 launch, which shows improvement, though it still resulted in similar but fortunately reduced debris and evidence of chemical waste, as reported by WANE and My San Antonio.

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These launches affected the local environment, as the launch pad is located near a beach and surrounding tidal flats. The first launch even caused a 3.5-acre fire and a 385-acre debris field, causing experts to question why the launchpad did not include a flame diverter, trench, or water deluge system.

The Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, a local environmental group, told MySA that the area is an important habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species like the ocelot, aplomado falcon, piping plover, red knot, snowy plover, and black rail. It is also an important site for spring and fall bird migrations. And the Kemps Ridley sea turtle nests only a quarter of a mile from the launch site, MySA reported.

Though the total impact on wildlife is unknown, the April explosion incinerated a group of blue land crabs and seven bobwhite quail eggs within a local state park. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists were left in disbelief over the environmental damage that the launch caused.

SpaceX also has received backlash for its plans to dispose of contaminated water that degrades wetlands. The company recently asked to dump more than 200,000 gallons of wastewater into the South Bay, and more than 1,100 people submitted comments in opposition to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, according to MySA.

Jim Chapman, president of FOWC, told the outlet that though the local environment might not look like much, It is an extremely important area for lots of shorebirds and is a critical habitat for many endangered animals. There arent a lot of places like that; it is a unique area.

Meanwhile, SpaceX cofounder and CEO Elon Musk took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say more tests are coming: Starship Flight 3 hardware should be ready to fly in 3 to 4 weeks. There are three ships in final production in the high bay (as can be seen from the highway).

Editors note: A previous version of this article characterized the post-launch explosion of Starship as causing damage on the ground in addition to the launch blast, but it has been updated to correct that damage to the local area in Texas has only been attributed to the launch process of each rocket.

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Environmental experts express concern about SpaceX after company's second test flight results in further damage to ... - The Cool Down

Update for Jan. 17: SpaceX announced that the launch of Axiom Space's Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station has been delayed by a day, to 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT) on Thursday (Jan. 18). Watch it live here at Space.com; coverage will begin at 2:30 p.m. EST (1845 GMT) on Jan. 18.

Houston-based Axiom Space is poised for the company's third private astronaut launch to space. Ax-3 will carry a four-person, all-European crew on a roughly two-week mission to conduct research aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The quartet includes Ax-3 mission commander and former NASA astronaut Michael "LA" Lpez-Alegra, mission specialist Walter Villadei, who also flew aboard Virgin Galactic's Galactic 01 suborbital spaceflight as VIRTUTE 1 mission commander last summer, Turkey's soon-to-be first astronaut, Alper Gezeravc and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut reserve member Marcus Wandt.

The Ax-3 crew will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the early evening, Wednesday, Jan. 17, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in Florida. After about 36 hours aboard their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, the crew will dock with the ISS early Friday morning, Jan. 19, if all goes according to plan.

The Ax-3 crew is scheduled to spend 14 days aboard the ISS, following their arrival on Friday, Jan. 19. Barring any weather delays, like the ones that prolonged the return of Ax-1, the four-person crew is scheduled to return after two weeks' time aboard their Crew Dragon capsule, parachuting back to Earth for a splashdown off the coast of Florida.

Live updates: Axiom Space Ax-3 private spaceflight with SpaceX: Live updates Photos: The first space tourists

Former NASA astronaut Michael "L.A." Lpez-Alegra is no stranger to spaceflight. Ax-3 will be his sixth launch to the ISS, and he has no plans of quitting anytime soon. "It's a dream come true for me," L.A. told reporters during a Jan. 11 crew teleconference, "I will gladly continue to fly as long as the soul is willing, and as long as the body is willing to do so."

L.A. was born in Madrid, and came to the U.S. with his parents as a young child. Combined, he has more than 40 years of aviation and spaceflight experience, which includes three Space Shuttle launches and a Soyuz launch. He was inducted into NASA's Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2020, and currently holds the space agency's record for cumulative time spent on space walks, or extravehicular activities (EVAs). L.A. now works as Axiom's chief astronaut.

Lpez-Alegra flew as mission commander for Ax-1, and is proud to be reprising that role for Ax-3, he said during Thursday's call.

"I'm very proud and pleased to be leading this mission to the International Space Station, which is important not just for the scientific research and technology demonstrations and outreach events that we'll do, but also it's a very important step toward the goal of Axiom space to have a commercial space station in orbit before the decade is out."

Axiom Space is constructing its own habitation module to berth to the ISS, which it plans to build out and eventually detach to become its own private space station. Throughout development, crews from each of the company's commercially-funded missions to the ISS work, in part, toward helping Axiom reach that goal.

This also isn't the first spaceflight for Ax-3 mission pilot Col. Walter Villadei. Villadei hails from Rome, Italy, and serves as a colonel in the Italian Air Force (ItAF). His background includes extensive military flight experience with the ItAF, as well as assignments in the space sector, which sent him to Star City, Russia, to with the Russian space agency (Roscosmos) as a Soyuz flight engineer.

Currently, Villadei works as the head of ItAF's representative office in the U.S., overseeing commercial spaceflight initiatives.

He flew on a sub-orbital flight to space with Virgin Galactic in June 2023, where he served as VIRTUTE-1 mission commander. At the time, he said that flight would help prepare him for upcoming, longer spaceflights.

"This mission is very important for Italy," Villadei said during the Jan. 11 briefing, calling Ax-3 a "fundamental step" in Italy's national space strategy. "It's a big opportunity for bringing industries of the scientific community and institutions into this new chapter for space exploration."

Alper Gezeravc will fly as Turkey's first astronaut. The Ax-3 mission specialist holds degrees from the Air Force Academy in Istanbul, and the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Ohio, and has 15 years experience flying as a fighter pilot for the Turkish Air Force.

On Thursday's call, Gezeravc acknowledged the significance of his country sending someone to space, but said he doesn't want that fact to overshadow the mission's contribution to the global scientific community.

"I'm representing my beautiful country, Turkey, as the first person to go to space," Gezeravc said, "however, this mission is not only focused on the first manned mission, but it's also representing a lot of scientific missions that we are intending to contribute in the science world."

Like Axiom's previous missions, much of the research conducted by the Ax-3 crew will focus on the effects of long-term spaceflight and the effects of microgravity on the human body, with an emphasis on how that research can have beneficial applications down on Earth. Turkey's Vokalkord experiment, for example, is developing artificial intelligence to detect disease through analyzing audio of people speaking and coughing.

Another fighter pilot, Marcus Wandt has more than 20 years experience in the air, serving in the Swedish Air Force. From fighter pilot, Wandt worked his way up to the role of chief test pilot, and eventually founded his own company to give tactical training to other pilots.

Now, Wandt is a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force and a member of ESA's astronaut reserve, and will be the second person from Sweden to fly to the ISS. For Ax-3, he will serve as a mission specialist.

"The decisiveness of how Sweden came together with ESA and Axiom, and all the support from NASA and SpaceX to make this happen is fantastic," Wandt said during the Ax-3 crew teleconference.

"I'm so proud to be in the center of that, and being a part of pioneering a new way for Europe to gain access to space and to increase the frequency ... of not only European presence but also European science, and the benefit for what we can do here on Earth that brings everyone forward."

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Meet the 4 astronauts of SpaceX's Ax-3 launch for Axiom Space - Space.com

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured docked to the space station on May 28, 2023, during Axiom Spaces second private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission-2.

Four private astronauts are readying for launch to the International Space Station this week while the Expedition 70 crew ramps up microgravity research and maintenance tasks after yesterdays off-duty day.

The third private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), is scheduled to liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:11 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 17. Ax-3 crew members, Commander Michael Lpez-Alegra, Pilot Walter Villadei of Italy, Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravc of Turkey, and ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden, will make the trek to the orbital lab aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, docking at 5:15 a.m. Friday, Jan. 19. The quartet will spend about two weeks conducting science and research in microgravity before heading home.

Ahead of Ax-3 arrival, NASA Flight Engineer Loral OHara spent most of the day prepping station for new visitors. OHara inspected the airflow in crew quarters, prepped sleep accommodations for crew occupancy, and cleaned the liners and vents where the four private astronauts will sleep while aboard the orbital outpost.

ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen also prepped for Ax-3, completing training for Dragon rendezvous and docking. Afterward, he set up ECHO, which is equipped with motorized probs, for ground teams to perform remote maintenance activities.

While OHara and Mogensen prepped for Ax-3 crew arrival, other crew members took to space botany and biology tasks. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli spent the day working with Plant Habitat-06, thinning wild-type tomato seedlings. Afterward, she set up and installed the Plant Water Management 5 hardware to the Maintenance Work Area.

JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa removed culture units from the microscope used for the Space Organogenesis investigation, which demonstrates growth of organ buds from 3D printed human stem cells. Additionally, Furukawa collected water samples from the stations potable water dispenser for in-flight analysis.

The Roscosmos trioFlight Engineers Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisovperformed an array of maintenance activities on Tuesday. Kononenko replaced hardware in the Zvezda service module, while Chub replaced the thermal control system pump panel in the Zarya module. Afterward, Chub conducted an experiment studying liquid phases in microgravity, while Borisov distilled samples from the Roscosmos segment water management system and conducted maintenance on the stations vacuum cleaner.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Crew Preps for Private Astronaut Arrival as Ax-3 Mission Nears Launch - NASA Blogs

Enlarge / A Falcon 9 rocket launches the Axiom-2 mission on May 21, 2023.

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The European Space Agencys (ESA) has a deal with Axiom Space to get more Europeans in orbit. But does the partnership benefit European taxpayers who fund the agencys operations?

On Wednesday, January 17, the third privately funded mission by US commercial spaceflight company Axiom Space is set to lift off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket. Inside the Crew Dragon capsule will be a quartet of space travelers, including Swedish fighter pilot Marcus Wandt.

Wandt will be flying under the European Space Agency (ESA) flag, although he is not exactly an ESA astronaut. In the 2022 European astronaut recruitment round, Wandt didnt make the final five of Europes proper astronaut class, who became ESA staff members and started their astronaut training in 2023. Instead, he was selected as a member of ESAs first astronaut reserve pool, a novelty developed by ESA with an apparent goal of encouraging its member states to pay for national missions in addition to their regular contributions to ESAs budget. Sweden was the first to jump at the opportunity in April last year and is paying for Wandts two-week space trip through a contract brokered by ESA as part of a Memorandum of Understanding the agency signed with the American commercial company Axiom Space in October 2023.

Wandt is the first but not the only reserve astronaut with his ticket to space while his seemingly more successful colleagues who made the proper astronaut corps are still in training. Poland, too, has signed up and expects to fly its reservist, Sawosz Uznaski, on another Axiom mission later this year.

Compared to their overall investment in space activities, the price these countries pay to see their nationals float in microgravity is not negligible. At the November 2022 ESA ministerial councilthe triennial member state summit that decides the agencys budget for the following three-year periodSweden pledged 317 million euros ($355 million).

According to a 2018 announcement, Axiom Space sells 10-day space trips for $55 million a seat. The overall cost of each mission is likely to be quite a bit higher. Last year, Hungary signed a contract directly with Axiom to send a Hungarian national to the International Space Station independently of ESA. Hungary discussed plans for a national mission back in 2022 and, at that time, estimated the project to cost about $100 million. Based on that estimate, Sweden may be easily paying an equivalent of its annual contribution into the ESA budget to get Wandt to space.

In addition to Wandt and Uznaski, the ESA astronaut reserve pool includes nine other candidates, none of them officially employed by ESA. By filling this astronaut reserve pool, ESA seems to have created a market for Axiom Space, a move that might raise questions given the agencys purpose is to promote the European space sector. In fact, the ESAs founding Convention enshrines the principle of geo-return, which grants member states at least an 80 percent return on their contributions into ESAs budget in the form of research and development contracts. Although the cost of the Axiom missions is paid through ESA, most of this money goes to the Texas-headquartered Axiom Space and its launch provider, SpaceX.

ESA refused to disclose details of the arrangement between Axiom Space and Sweden, calling it proprietary data as this is implemented through aconfidentialcommercial contract. The Swedish National Space Agency didnt respond to Ars Technicas request for comment.

Polands announcement of a national mission for Uznaski arrived in August last year, accompanied by a jaw-dropping increase of the countrys contribution to ESAs budget. At the 2022 ministerial council, Poland earmarked 197 million euros for the agencys activities in the 2023 to 2025 period. In August, the Polish Space Agency more than doubled this contribution, committing an additional 295 million euros ($322 million). It is not clear how much of this money will go toward Uznaskis space trip.

In the months following the announcement of the astronaut reserve pool, Axiom Space began actively approaching home countries of the reservists with offers to fly those men and women to space, according to media in the Czech Republic, which has recently declined the offer.

In addition to Sweden and Poland, the UK also intends to use Axioms services and conduct a British-only mission that will be headed by semi-retired ESA astronaut Tim Peake. It will also include the UKs Rosemary Coogan, newly named as one of ESAs career astronauts, as well as reservist Meganne Christian and para-astronaut John McFall. Unlike the Swedish and Polish mission, the British mission will be funded by the private industry in the UK rather than by taxpayers, according to the BBC.

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Axiom and SpaceX are disrupting Europe's traditional pathway to space - Ars Technica