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Home Home SpaceX, NASA Targeting Monday for Dragon Splashdown Off Coast of Florida, AX-3 Mission Astronauts Return

BREVARD COUNTY CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA SpaceX, Axiom Space, and NASA are targeting no earlier than Monday, February 5 for Dragon and the Ax-3 astronauts to depart from the International Space Station.

After performing a series of burns to move away from the space station, Dragon will conduct multiple orbit-lowering maneuvers, jettison its trunk, and re-enter Earths atmosphere before splashing down off the coast of Florida.

Aboard the spacecraft will be Ax-3 astronauts Michael Lpez-Alegra and Walter Villadei , Alper Gezeravc , and Marcus Wandt, who flew to the space station on Dragon when Falcon 9 launched the spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, January 18 at 4:49 p.m. ET.

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SpaceX, NASA Targeting Monday for Dragon Splashdown Off Coast of Florida, AX-3 Mission Astronauts Return - SpaceCoastDaily.com

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying the four-member Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew is pictured approaching the International Space Station 260 miles above China north of the Himalayas. Credit: NASA

Axiom Mission 3s return from the ISS, involving NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, has been delayed to February 5 due to weather. Live coverage of the undocking and return processes will be provided across multiple NASA platforms.

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than Monday, February 5, for the undocking of Axiom Mission 3 from the International Space Station. Teams are standing down from the Saturday, February 3, undocking opportunity of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Axiom crew members due to weather conditions off the coast of Florida. The next weather review is planned for 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, February 3. NASA will provide additional information on coverage.

NASA will provide live coverage of the undocking and departure of the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) private astronaut flight from the International Space Station before the crew returns to Earth.

The four-member astronaut crew will undock from the space-facing port of the stations Harmony module in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to begin the journey home and splashdown off the coast of Florida.

NASA will provide live coverage of space station joint operations with Axiom Space and SpaceX. Coverage of hatch-closure preparations will begin at 4 a.m. NASA coverage of undocking will resume at 5:45 a.m.

Coverage will be available on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agencys website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

Aboard the International Space Station, Axiom Mission-3 crewmembers Michael Lpez-Alegra, Walter Villadei, Alper Gezeravc, and Marcus Wandt provided farewell remarks on February 2 ahead of their scheduled undocking from the space station on February 3 (now delayed to February 5). The crew has been living and working on the International Space Station since January 20 following a launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 18. Axiom Mission-3 is the third private astronaut mission to the space station. Credit: NASA

The four private astronauts, Michael Lpez-Alegra, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci, will complete about two weeks in space at the conclusion of their mission. The Axiom crew, along with Expedition 70, highlighted their stay aboard the space station during farewell remarks on Friday in advance of their undocking.

Their SpaceX Dragon will return to Earth with more than 550 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from more than 30 different experiments the crew conducted during their mission. Splashdown is expected about 7 p.m.

Ax-3, the third all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, successfully lifted off from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 18.

NASAs coverage ends approximately 30 minutes after undocking when space station joint operations with Axiom Space and SpaceX mission teams conclude. Axiom Space will resume coverage of Dragons re-entry and splashdown on the companys website.

The Ax-3 mission is part of NASAs effort to foster a commercial market in low Earth orbit and continue a new era of space exploration that enables more people and organizations to fly multiple mission objectives. This partnership expands the arc of human spaceflight and opens access to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more people, science, and commercial opportunities.

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Watch Live: NASA Coverage of Axiom Mission 3 Departure From Space Station - SciTechDaily

SpaceX is planning to launch 22 Starlink internet satellites on Tuesday (Jan. 23), after a series of earlier attempts that ended in delays and an unexplained abort.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink spacecraft is set to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 7:35 p.m. EST (4:35 p.m. California time; 0035 GMT on Jan. 24). An attempt at a lift off on Sunday night was called off due to poor conditions.

"Standing down from tonights Falcon 9 launch attempt due to weather," SpaceX posted on X (formerly Twitter).

You can watch a live webcast of the launch on Tuesday beginning five minutes before liftoff on X @SpaceX and on SpaceX's website.

A launch attempt on Friday ended with only 57 seconds left in the countdown. SpaceX did not provide an explanation for the aborted liftoff.

Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky

Should all go as planned, the Falcon 9's first stage will come back to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff for a landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

This will be the 16th launch and landing for this booster, according to a SpaceX mission description. Among its previous flights were NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) and 10 other Starlink missions.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Falcon 9's upper stage will continue hauling the 22 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, deploying them there about 62 minutes after liftoff.

Starlink is SpaceX's broadband megaconstellation. It currently consists of more than 5,250 operational spacecraft, but that number is increasing all the time.

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SpaceX to launch 22 Starlink satellites on Sunday after scrub and delays - Space.com

Update for Jan. 18: SpaceX is on track to launch Axiom Space's Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station at 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT) today after delaying it by a day.

Watch it live here at Space.com; coverage will begin at 2:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT) on Jan. 18.

SpaceX will launch an astronaut crew to the International Space Station Thursday (Jan. 18) on the private Ax-3 mission for Axiom Space, but if you're hoping to watch it live online, you'll need to know where and when. And for that, space fans, we've got what you need.

The Ax-3 mission, Axiom Space's third commercial spaceflight with SpaceX, will launch four astronauts to the ISS from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and its Dragon spacecraft Freedom. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT).

The Ax-3 mission is commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria of Axiom Space, with Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force serving as pilot. Turkey's first astronaut, Alper Gezeravc, and European Space Agency reserve astronaut Marcus Wandt round out the crew as mission specialists. Together, the four men will spend at least two weeks in space on their ISS mission. Here's how and when to watch them launch and dock at the orbiting lab.

Related: Meet the 4 astronauts of SpaceX's Ax-3 launch for Axiom Space

Currently, SpaceX aims to launch the Ax-3 astronauts into orbit on Thursday, Jan. 18, at 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT) from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Current weather forecasts call for a 80% of good conditions at launch time, according to the 45th Weather Squadron of the U.S. Space Force.

SpaceX has what it calls an "instantaneous window" in which to launch the Ax-3 mission. That means if the company cannot launch at that exact time, it will have to stand down until its next opportunity in order to reach the International Space Station. SpaceX's backup launch day may be possible on Friday, Jan. 19.

SpaceX and Axiom Space initially hoped to launch the Ax-3 mission in November 2023, but the flight slipped to January 2024 and then to mid-January as weather issues delayed a series of other SpaceX flights ahead of the mission. A planned Jan. 17 launch date was delayed to allow additional systems checks, SpaceX said.

Yes, you will be able to watch SpaceX's Ax-3 astronaut launch online for free. In fact, you have a few options. Space.com will simulcast the livestream live here starting at 2:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT) and on our YouTube channel, as well.

SpaceX and Axiom Space will host their own joint webcast of the launch beginning at 2:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT) on Jan. 18. You can follow those webcasts at the Axiom Space YouTube channel and on the SpaceX X account (formerly Twitter).

NASA's livestream will broadcast on NASA TV and NASA+. The agency will broadcast the SpaceX/Axiom Space program at 3:45 p.m. EST (2045 GMT). NASA's launch coverage will end about 15 minutes after liftoff.

SpaceX, Axiom Space and NASA will also offer live views of the Ax-3 Dragon spacecraft's docking at the International Space Station, which is scheduled to occur on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 5:15 a.m. EST (1015 GMT).

NASA's livestream of the docking will begin at 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 GMT) and run through docking itself. At about 7 a.m. EST (1200 GMT), the four Ax-3 astronauts will join the seven astronauts currently living on the International Space Station during a hatch opening ceremony.

Finally, at 7:35 a.m. EST (1235 GMT), the joint Ax-3 and station crew will host some welcome remarks before beginning their time together.

While SpaceX's launch of the Ax-3 astronauts will last just over 12 minutes from liftoff to its final event, the Axiom Space mission will last at least two weeks.

After liftoff, it should take about 2.5 minutes for the Falcon 9 rocket to reach stage separation, after which its first stage will return to Earth while the upper stage continues upward with the Dragon spacecraft. The first stage should land just under 8 minutes after liftoff at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, according to a mission description.

The Dragon capsule will separate from the Falcon 9 upper stage about 12 minutes after liftoff, deploying its nose cone to expose its docking port less than a minute later.

SpaceX had at least one backup day set up in case it cannot launch the Ax-3 astronaut mission to the International Space Station on Jan. 17 as initially planned. Now the company is using that backup day with its latest launch target. A second backup day on Jan. 19 may also be available.

If a Jan. 18 launch isn't possible, SpaceX could potentially try again on Friday , Jan. 19, depending on the nature of any delay. The company has not officially announced Jan, 19 as another backup day, however. Like with the Jan. 17 date, SpaceX is expected to have an instantaneous window for a Jan. 18 launch attempt. There is a 80% chance of good weather for launch on Jan. 18, according to the 45th Weather Squadron.

If SpaceX is still unable to launch the Ax-3 mission on Jan. 18, then its next option will likely be on Friday, Jan. 19. Weather conditions are expected to be about the same, according to Space Force officials. The main concerns that day are thick cumulus clouds and the potential for SpaceX's Falcon 9 to fly through precipitation, the Space Force said. If SpaceX opts to target a potential Jan. 20 liftoff, weather forecasts predict a 95% chance of good weather.

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What time is the SpaceX Ax-3 astronaut launch for Axiom Space? How to watch it live today - Space.com

SpaceX is often in the headlines, unfortunlatey its not always good news. On 18th November we saw the second of the Starship and SuperHeavy booster get off the launchpad successfully, it failed before reaching orbit. In a recent event, Elon Musk explained how a fuel venting near the end of the burn was responbie but entirely avoidable next time!

The Starship and SuperHeavy booster are an impressive combination. Standing at over 120 metres tall together they are one of the most powerful and versatile rocket systems ever built. It can produce 16,700,000 pound force of thrust making it twice as powerful as Saturn V that took the Apollo astrnauts to the Moon.

The first launch attempt failed when the rocket spun out of control, exploding about four minutes from liftoff. Following the disaster, the team identified that the flight termination system which was supposed to destroy the vehicle if it went out of control, failed to do its job.

Musk reported on the second launch test from an event at Boca China in Texas where he explained that the lack of a payload meant that it needed to vent some of the liquid oxygen propellant. It almost made it to orbit and would have succeeded if it had a payload. The liquid oxygen would have been consumed by the mighty Raptor engines instead of being vented which was as per design. Musk however did not elaborate on how this all led to a fire.

The third test flight is slated for February and Musk is confident it will reach orbit this time. On the assumption of a succesful launch they plan to test the de-orbit process, the payload door operations and transferring propellant from header tank to main tank. This latter test is part of the NASA Tipping Point program to test fuel transfer from one vehicle to another.

Whether its the third or even the fourth test launch that brings success for SpaceX their long term goals remain unchanged. They still hope to be able to carry up to 100 people on interplanetary missions and become a pivotal part of the return to the Moon.

Source : SpaceX, X feed.

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Now We Know Why Starship's Second Flight Test Failed - Universe Today

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the companys Dragon spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A ahead of Axiom Mission 3 launch. Credit: SpaceX

As part of NASAs efforts to open access to space, SpaceX and Axiom Space now are targeting no earlier than 4:49 p.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 18, for launch of the third private mission to the International Space Station. The date adjustment for Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) allows additional time for SpaceX to complete data analysis of the parachute system energy modulatorthe straps that connect the Dragon spacecrafts parachute bag to the parachute door.

Following Dragons return on its 29th commercial resupply services mission to station, SpaceX observed some of the stitches didnt pull through in the expected manner. While there is built-in margin through multiple energy modulators, SpaceX felt it was prudent to evaluate recent test data and this condition has been corrected on Ax-3. These straps are folded and stitched together such that when they pull apart, the connecting stitches intentionally break, allowing the straps to pull apart at a constant force. This regulates the amount of load applied to the main parachutes, which takes place as the parachute door and drogues extract the mains out of the spacecraft during the handoff from drogues to mains.

SpaceX proactively wanted to inspect the energy modulators on the Ax-3 parachutes and the team removed the parachute door this past week, inspected the energy modulators, correct alignment of the modulators, and then re-installed the doors.

SpaceX and NASA continue to work together on future flight hardware procedures.

For more information, listen to a replay of the Axiom Mission 3 prelaunch news conference.

Aboard the space station, the first wild-type tomatoes from Plant Habitat-06 were harvested aboard the orbital lab today by NASA Flight Engineer Loral OHara. Part of an ongoing suite of experiments, this specific investigation takes a look at the physiological and genetic responses to defense activation and immune function in tomatoes during spaceflight.

While space botany was underway, two crew members conducted fluid research with the Plant Water Management 5 system. In the morning, NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli prepped fluids and primed the facility after installing it yesterday. Moghbeli also tested the hydroponic flow of the system. ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen later took over, spot checking the fluidic test cell. Mogensen also completed a VR Mental Care session, which demonstrates the use of virtual reality for mental relaxation.

JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa was tasked with a suite of maintenance activities throughout the day. He performed tech troubleshooting in the morning, then set up the Internal Ball Camera in the Kibo Laboratory. Afterward, he analyzed water samples from the water processor assembly before cleaning air quality monitor vents. His day wrapped with some routine orbital plumbing.

Maintenance and research were at the forefront of Wednesdays schedule for the Roscosmos trio. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov replaced dust collector filters in the Zarya module, then inspected the thermal control system pump panel that was installed yesterday. Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko conducted additional maintenance in the Zvezda service module, then moved on to record vibrations of structural elements in the Poisk module. To wrap up the day, Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub completed an experiment that investigates liquid phases in microgravity.

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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Ax-3 Launch Date Adjusted; Crew Harvests Plants and Conducts Fluid Research - NASA Blogs

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon crew ship atop blasts off on April 9, 2022, from NASAs Kennedy Space Center carrying the first private astronauts to the space station during Axiom Mission-1. Credit: SpaceX

Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) is go for launch as four private astronauts gear up to head to the space station later this afternoon. Space botany and fluid research continue into Thursday for the Expedition 70 crew members as they await the arrival of Ax-3.

The third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:49 p.m. EST today, Jan. 18. 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 launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Scheduled to arrive to the station at 5:15 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, the quartet will spend about two weeks conducting science and research in microgravity before returning to Earth.

After yesterdays initial harvest aboard the orbital lab, the second and third round of wild-type tomatoes were harvested from Plant Habitat-06 by NASA Flight Engineer Loral OHara. The investigation takes a look at the physiological and genetic responses to defense activation and immune function in tomatoes during spaceflight. OHara also spent part of her day checking hardware for the upcoming arrival of Ax-3.

Fluid research that began yesterday continued into Thursday as Flight Engineers Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA and Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) performed root tests for root zone, flow resistance, phase distribution, and stability in Plant Water Management 5. In the evening, the duo then conducted ultrasounds of their necks, clavicles, shoulders, and behind their knees.

ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen took over work with Plant Management 5, testing the performance of the separator and water trap before draining and stowing the facility.

Two Cosmonauts teamed up in the afternoonFlight Engineers Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chubto remove and replace the heat exchanger unit in the air conditioning system. Kononenko later conducted a cargo audit in the Prichal module. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov ran a Pilot-T session in the morning, an ongoing experiment to practice piloting techniques, before performing a storage audit in the Nauka module.

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.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: http://www.nasa.gov/subscribe

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Ax-3 Go for Launch; Crew Continues Space Botany and Fluid Research - NASA Blogs

By Russell Lewis | NPR Thursday, January 18, 2024

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with its Crew Dragon capsule launches from pad LC-39A during Axiom Space's Ax-3 Mission at the Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on January 18, 2024.

Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images

The first all-European commercial crew is on its way to the International Space Station after an early evening SpaceX launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Unlike a NASA mission, this one is paid for by Axiom Space, a Houston-based company flying its third group of paying passengers to the I.S.S. It contracts with SpaceX to get to and from the orbital laboratory. Axiom plans to build its own space station in orbit one day and it's using these missions to help in its planning and designs.

An attempt to launch the mission Wednesday was called off several hours before its scheduled flight. SpaceX and Axiom said they needed additional time "to complete pre-launch checkouts and data analysis, including the parachute system energy modulator." The next day SpaceX said, "all systems are looking good for today's launch" without elaborating further.

The capsule will take the next 36 hours racing to catch up to the I.S.S. as it circles about 250 miles above Earth. After docking, the crew will spend two weeks on the orbital laboratory performing about 30 experiments, including "microgravity research, technology demonstrations, and outreach engagements," according to Axiom.

This mission, called Ax-3, is flying a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft named Freedom. The capsule has flown in space twice previously and gone to the International Space Station each time (Crew-4 in 2022 and Ax-2 in 2023). Freedom has spent a total of 179 days in space.

The Ax-3 crew is led by Axiom chief astronaut Michael Lpez-Alegra (A dual U.S.-Spanish citizen and former NASA astronaut and ISS commander). He'll serve as the Ax-3 commander and is joined by three paying passengers: Pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, and mission specialists Alper Gezeravc of Turkey and Marcus Wandt of Sweden and the European Space Agency.

For Gezeravc, who is the first Turkish astronaut to go to space, "This spaceflight is not a destination but a journey. This is just the beginning of our journey - for a long growing space journey in our future."

The Ax-3 crew will join seven other people currently on the I.S.S.

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SpaceX launches 4 people for a private mission to the International Space Station - Capital Public Radio News

SpaceX's giant Starship rocket apparently performed better on its second-ever test flight than its explosive end would suggest.

The mission launched from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas on Nov. 18 of last year. It ended about eight minutes after liftoff, when Starship's upper-stage spacecraft (called, somewhat confusingly, Starship), detonated high in the Texas sky.

But the vehicle was performing quite well until that point,and likely would have continued on that successful path had it been a normal, operational flight, according to SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk.

"So, Flight 2 actually almost made it to orbit," Musk said in a recent company update, which SpaceX posted on X on Jan. 12. The explosion was caused by a venting of liquid oxygen, he added and there was liquid oxygen left to vent only because Starship wasn't hauling any satellites that day.

"We normally wouldn't have that liquid oxygen if we had a payload," Musk said in the update, which he gave at Starbase to a crowd of SpaceX employees. "So, ironically, if it had had a payload, it would have reached orbit."

Related:See stunning photos and video of Starship's 2nd launch

SpaceX is developing Starship to help humanity settle Mars and achieve other bold exploration feats. The vehicle consists of a first-stage booster called Super Heavy and the Starship upper stage, which is about 165 feet (50 meters) tall. Both of these elements are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable.

SpaceX has launched two Starship test flights to date, both of them from Starbase. The first, which lifted off on April 20 of last year, ended about four minutes into flight with a controlled detonation. SpaceX ordered that explosion because Starship suffered several serious problems, most notably the failure of its two stages to separate.

The Nov. 18 flight went much more smoothly, as Musk noted, giving him optimism for future missions.

"I think we've got a really good shot of reaching orbit with Flight 3, and then a rapid cadence to achieve full and rapid reusability," he said in the recent update. SpaceX plans to launch Flight 3 next month, provided the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issues a license in time. (The FAA is currently overseeing an investigation into what happened on Flight 2.)

Musk hopes this anticipated rapid development leads to an operational capability soon; he said SpaceX aims to start launching its big, next-generation Starlink internet satellites aboard Starship by the end of the year.

NASA wants to see Starship get up and running soon as well; the agency selected the vehicle to be the first crewed lander for its Artemis program of moon exploration. Starship will put astronauts down on the lunar surface for the first time on the Artemis 3 mission, which is currently targeted to launch in September 2026.

Starship is already the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built. It stands about 400 feet (122 meters) tall and generates 16.7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff nearly twice as much thrust as NASA'sSpace Launch Systemmegarocket, a core part of the Artemis program.

But the current Starship is just a prototype. The final, operational version will be even bigger, Musk said in the recent update.

SpaceX is working on "a sort of a Version 2 ship that will be more reliable, better performance, [with better] endurance," he said. "We've got a Version 3 ship design that will stretch, that will be even taller probably end up being, I don't know, 140 meters [459 feet] before it's all said and done, maybe 150 [492 feet] in the end, in length."

"So, it'll be even taller than it currently is," Musk added with a chuckle.

Editor's note: This story was corrected at 8:50 a.m. ET on Jan. 17 to state that Starship produces 16.7 million pounds, not tons, of thrust at liftoff.

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'If it had had a payload, it would have made it to orbit.' Elon Musk reveals cause of Starship explosion (video) - Space.com

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