Axiom Space

Ax-4 crew members Tibor Kapu, Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański, Shubhanshu Shukla during underwater training. Photo: Axiom Space
Ax-4 crew members Tibor Kapu, Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański, Shubhanshu Shukla during underwater training.
Photo: Axiom Space

Axiom Space has released new information about the scientific and technological goals for its upcoming Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for launch no earlier than May 2025.

Commanded by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson (U.S.), the Ax-4 crew includes pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (ESA/Poland), and mission specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungary). The team will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule from the Eastern Range no earlier than late May.

Ax-4 Will Perform The Most Research-Driven Axiom Mission To Date

The mission will carry roughly 60 science and research payloads involving partners from 31 countries — including the U.S., India, Hungary, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and others across Europe. This marks the most research-driven mission Axiom has led to date, reinforcing the growing international momentum behind low-Earth orbit science and commercial space collaboration.

Much of the research on the mission will be driven by the crew members’ home countries, including experiments from India’s ISRO, Poland in partnership with the European Space Agency, Hungary’s HUNOR program, and the United States. Axiom is also collaborating with research institutions and universities to study how spaceflight affects the human body and how these insights can improve healthcare back on Earth.

Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski [Right] have been training to live and work aboard the space station for the past eight months in preparation for their mission, which is targeted to launch no earlier than May 2025.
Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski [Right] have been training to live and work aboard the space station for the past eight months in preparation for their mission, which is targeted to launch no earlier than May 2025.

Ax-4 is a key step in building a sustainable research and business environment in orbit — and in paving the way for Axiom Station, the company’s planned commercial space station.

Axiom has been making strides in getting their Station completed, launched and connected to ISS — a multi-pronged highly complex program. They recently demonstrated a successful detailed simulation of the capturing and attaching Axiom Station to ISS, a key milestone on the way towards launching the real thing sometime in 2027.

Ax-4 crew member Sławosz Uznański holds a silver packet up to a machine. Photo: Axiom Space
 Ax-4 crew member Sławosz Uznański holds a silver packet up to a machine. 
Photo: Axiom Space

Ax-4 Crew and Launch Plans

Axiom-Led Research

Axiom’s research program spans critical areas in space health and biology. Highlights include:

  • Supporting astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes during spaceflight.
  • Studying how microgravity affects brain function, joints, blood flow, and psychological adaptation.
  • Gathering health data using wearables and smart devices.
  • Investigating cancer progression and stem cell behavior in space.
  • Monitoring radiation exposure and its effects on human tissue.

India: ISRO

India’s space agency, ISRO, is running several biology and materials science experiments in partnership with NASA and ESA. Focus areas include:

  • Visual and cognitive responses to screen use in microgravity.
  • Microgravity effects on algae and cyanobacteria strains.
  • Studying muscle degeneration and crop seed germination in orbit.
  • Identifying genetic resilience to extreme space environments.

Poland / ESA

With ESA support, Poland is conducting a wide-ranging scientific package focused on astronaut health, physiology, and advanced technology. Research will explore:

  • Mental health and behavioral responses in space.
  • Bone loss, gut microbiome changes, and immune system function.
  • Wearable tech performance and biomedical data monitoring.
  • New pharmaceutical storage methods and radiation sensors.
  • Microgravity experiments with algae, tardigrade genes, and neurofeedback tools.

Hungary: HUNOR Program

Hungary’s national space research initiative is contributing a diverse set of studies covering biology, physics, propulsion, and education:

  • Microbiome studies of astronauts.
  • Effects of spaceflight on cognition, cardiovascular function, and motor control.
  • Advanced propulsion experiments using low-melting-point metals.
  • Demonstrating 3D printing behavior, microfluidic drug testing, and smart clothing technologies in orbit.
  • Collaborative educational physics experiments simulating gravity and atmospheric dynamics.

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Ax 4 Crew Photo: Axiom Space

Axiom Space announced today that the Ax-4 private mission to ISS will launch No Earlier Than May 2025. No specific launch date was given, and will be announced in the future as the launch draws closer. Commanded by veteran former NASA astronaut and current Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight Peggy Whitson, the crew of four will fly to ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon.

The Ax-4 Crew. From left, Mission Pilor Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu on the right.
Photo: Axiom Space

The crew is scheduled to spend up to 14 days aboard the ISS, engaging in a variety of scientific research, outreach initiatives, and commercial activities.

In addition to Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, an officer in the Indian Air Force and astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists include Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a project astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) representing Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Notably, this mission marks the first time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary will visit the ISS, representing each nation’s first government-sponsored human spaceflight in over 40 years.

Ax-3 On The Launch Pad Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Ax-3 On The Launch Pad Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Ax-4 Mission Objectives

Ax-4 will be a busy mission, as it is slated to conduct approximately 60 scientific experiments and activities involving participants from 31 nations, such as the United States, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, and various European countries. This marks the highest number of research initiatives undertaken on an Axiom Space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) thus far, highlighting the mission’s global importance and collaborative spirit in advancing microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO). ​

The mission places a particular emphasis on scientific endeavors led by the countries represented in the Ax-4 crew, including the United States, India, Poland (in collaboration with the European Space Agency), and Hungary. The research conducted will enhance global understanding in areas such as human health, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, reflecting the space research capabilities of the crew’s home countries. ​

Axiom Space is also collaborating with research organizations and academic institutions to further investigate the effects of spaceflight on the human body and to explore how space-based research can lead to improvements in health and medical treatments on Earth. The mission underscores the significance of commercial and academic partnerships, as Axiom Space spearheads the development of a global research community and a sustainable economic ecosystem in LEO. The mission also sets the stage for Axiom Station, the first commercial space station, which will provide a permanent platform for research, manufacturing, and human spaceflight.

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Axiom 3 at LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. The Ax-4 crew will fly aboard a similar spacecraft.
Photo: Charles Boyer, Talk of Titusville

Axiom Space announced the crew for its planned Axiom 4 mission today. The company’s release stated that it is partnering with India, through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Poland, with European Space Agency (ESA) support, and Hungary to send three national astronauts to the space station on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), the company’s next commercial human spaceflight mission to the orbiting laboratory.

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański of ESA/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary will make up the crew for the flight, Axiom said.

“Ax-4 represents Axiom Space’s continued efforts to build opportunity for countries to research, innovate, test, and engage with people around the world while in low-Earth orbit,” said Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space.

Suffredini added that, “This mission broadens horizons for nations with ambitious goals of advancing scientific, technological, and economic pursuits. Our collaboration with ESA for a second time and the inclusion of Hungary and India underscores Axiom Space’s ability to cultivate global partners, expand the scope of exploration, and open up new avenues to grow a global space economy.”

Peggy Whitson

Dr. Peggy Whitson
Photo: NASA

Dr. Peggy Whitson (Rice University, 1986) is one of the most experienced astronauts in spaceflight history, having already completed four previous spaceflights. She has spent more than 675 days in space and has flown on the Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and Crew Dragon on previous flights.

Her 289-day flight was the longest single space flight by a woman until Christina Koch’s 328-day flight eclipsed her record. Dr. Whitson is also oldest woman spacewalker ever and holds the record for the most spacewalks by a woman. She has conducted ten EVAs during her career, totalling over sixty hours outside in the darkness of space.

Dr. Whitson is 64 years old, and hails from Beaconsfield, Iowa. Axiom 4 will be her fifth spaceflight.

“I look forward to commanding my second commercial human spaceflight mission with Axiom Space,” said Peggy Whitson, Ax-4 commander. “With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration. Our previous missions set the stage. Axiom Mission 1 was the first all-private mission to the space station, Axiom Mission 2 launched the first Saudi female to space, and Axiom Mission 3 included both the first Turkish astronaut and first ESA astronaut to fly on a commercial space mission. Now, with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing even more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity’s reach among the stars.”

Shubhanshu Shukla

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
(Photo: X/@IAF_MCC) 

Born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, on October 10, 1985, wing commander Shubhanshu Shukla is an alumnus of India’s National Defence Agency, a joint-forces training academy for the Indian military.

Shukla was commissioned on June 17, 2006 in the Indian Air Force. He is a Fighter Combat Leader and a Test Pilot with approximately 2000 hours of flying experience.

Shukla will be India’s second gaganyatri – the Indian term for astronaut –  in space. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was aboard the Indo-Soviet crewed mission in 1984, making him the first from his country to go space. This will be ISRO’s first crewmember to fly on an American flight destined for the International Space Station.

ISRO is also independently working on advanced development of crewed flight capability. ISRO’s Human Rated Launch Vehicle (or Gaganyaan) is an ongoing program developing the technology needed to launch crewed orbital spacecraft into low Earth orbit. Gaganyaan is ostensibly near its first of two uncrewed test flights, as the first flight’s latest projected launch is sometime this year. ISRO hopes to launch its first crew in 2025.

Gaganyaan capsule.
Photo: ISRO

Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla have been named for India’s first crewed flight of Gaganyaan, and undoubtedly, Shubhanshu Shukla’s training, flight experience and lessons learned from flying Crew Dragon on Axiom 4 will be of great aid to ISRO’s efforts to bring the Gaganyaan program to full fruition with a successful first mission.

Sławosz Uznański

Sławosz Uznański
Photo: ESA

Born in Łódź, Poland in 1984, Dr. Sławosz Uznański is a Polish engineer working at the European Space Agency (ESA) as a project astronaut since 2023. He was formerly at The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN.)

In 2011, Uznański received a doctor’s degree with distinction from the University of the Mediterranean Aix-Marseille II for thesis on radiation-tolerant designs for space applications.

He will be the second Pole to space, following Mirosław Hermaszewski in 1978. Hermaszewski flew on the Soviet Soyuz 30 spacecraft, and spent nearly eight days in Earth orbit.

Tibor Kapu

Tibor Kapu
Photo: BME

Tibor Kapu is a 32-year-old engineer who graduated from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in his native Hungary.

He has worked in the pharmaceutical industry on batteries for hybrid cars and radiation protection for astronauts. For the last two years, he has worked on space radiation protection at Remred Space Technologies in the space industry. As a parachutist, he has 38 jumps under his harness.

Kapu will be the second Hungarian astronaut, and like Shubhanshu Shukla, he will be the first from his country to fly on an American spacecraft to ISS. Forty-four years ago, Bertalan Farkas became the first Hungarian astronaut. Farkas flew Soyuz 36 and docked for over 26 days at the Soviet Salyut-6 space station.

Astronauts In Training

The Axiom 4 crew have arrived in Houston, according to Axiom Space, and will now begin training for their flight, slated for NET October 2024. They will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 / Crew Dragon from Florida. Peggy Whitson will lead the training.

Axiom 3 liftoff in January 2024. The Ax-4 crew will fly a similar spacecraft NET October 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
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Shown here is the current white cover layer of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit prototype as it is tested in the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) system at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The person wearing it tests its use with different tools.
Photo: Axiom Space

Vital Program for Artemis and ISS Loses One of Two Vendors

Though they are often taken for granted, spacesuits are a vital part of US space efforts, both now with the International Space Station, and also later, when astronauts from Project Artemis undertake their EVA duties on the lunar surface. Without spacesuits, many of the necessary maintenance and upgrade duties on ISS cannot be performed, and obviously, without spacesuits, no one will be walking on the moon.

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Unoccupied AxEMU lunar EVA suit underwater at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas. Date unknown.
Photo: Axiom Space on X.com

One of the critical tasks for the upcoming Artemis missions is completing new spacesuits for astronauts to wear while on the lunar surface. The suits are critical, as they must protect astronauts from severe temperatures, the moon’s lack of a meaningful atmosphere, and sharp, jagged lunar regolith.

In September 2022, NASA awarded Axiom Space a $228.5 million contract to develop the next-generation spacesuit for the Artemis III mission to the moon. The suits, called Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), are still being developed. Today, Axiom Space announced that they have moved into a new testing phase: they are testing the AxEMU suits underwater in NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, a critical step to ensure suit performance and to inform the company of areas where improvements are needed.

The company shared two photographs of the ongoing tests at the NBL this morning on X.com, saying “The AxEMU entered the water for the first time this week at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL). Testing was conducted with an unoccupied spacesuit, adding weights to accurately simulate the lunar environment, where gravitational forces are 1/6th of Earth’s.”

Unoccupied AxEMU suite undergoing testing at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas. Date unknown.
Photo: Axiom Space on X.com

According to NASA, ” These tests are integral to ensuring the spacesuit is effective and complies with NASA’s safety and performance requirements.” Currently, the Artemis III mission will be the first that the AxEMU suits will be required, with the current estimated date for the mission launch no earlier than September of 2026. Critical items like the SpaceX Human Landing System and the suit must be perfected and crew-rated before the launch. SpaceX suggests that the fourth launch test of their new Starship rocket will occur sometime in May.

Axiom Space added in a subsequent X.com post that “With the successful conclusion of this trial run, the next NBL suit run will have our very own astronaut inside.” They did not specify a date or who will be inside the lunar suit.

For more information regarding the AxEMU suit, visit Axiom Space.

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Artist conception of a lunar rover in action.
Graphic: NASA

NASA has selected Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Astrolab to design a Lunar Terrain Vehicle, the agency announced earlier today in a press conference held in Houston. Each company named today will begin with a feasibility task order, which will be a year-long special study to develop their system to meet NASA’s requirements through the preliminary design maturity project.

Afterward one or more qualifying companies will be chosen to complete a demonstration mission, where it/they will continue developing the LTV, deliver it to the surface of the Moon, and validate its performance and safety prior to Artemis V, the first mission planned to take advantage of the LTV. While they left the door open today for more than one, NASA stated in a press release today that they anticipate making an award to only one provider for the demonstration.

Artemis V is currently planned for no earlier than 2029.

Intuitive Machines Reaction

Intuitive Machines rendering of their “Moon Racer” LTV, one of the projects selected for additional development.
Graphic: Intuitive Machines

“This procurement strategically aligns with the Company’s flight-proven capability to deliver payloads to the surface of the Moon under the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, further solidifying our position as a proven commercial contractor in lunar exploration,” said Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus in a press release issued by the company today. “Our global team is on a path to provide essential lunar infrastructure services to NASA in a project that would allow the Company to retain ownership of the vehicle for commercial utilization during periods of non-NASA activity over approximately ten years of lunar surface activity.”

Astrolab Reaction

Astrolab FLEX rover concept.
Photo: Astrolab

“Astrolab is honored to have its FLEX rover selected by NASA to participate in the development of creating a Lunar Terrain Vehicle for the Artemis Campaign,” said Jaret Matthews, founder & CEO, Astrolab in a press release issued today. “Our entire team, together with our business partners, are committed to delivering to NASA an LTV that serves as a critical tool in the agency’s efforts to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.”

“We’re excited to work with Astrolab and the entire team to revolutionize lunar operations,” said Russell Ralston, Vice President of EVA, Axiom Space. “We look forward to offering our expertise in the design of vehicle interfaces for both the crew and spacesuits, ensuring astronaut safety and mobility on the surface of the Moon. This partnership showcases a collective commitment to pushing boundaries and driving advancements in space exploration.”

Lunar Outpost Reaction

Lunar Outpost will work with Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Goodyear and MDA Space to develop their LTV.

“Surface mobility is a critical capability for humanity’s future in space, and Lunar Outpost looks forward to driving value in the cislunar economy by providing a reliable, safe and capable vehicle that will be used to provide mobility to Artemis astronauts and perform critical missions autonomously on the Moon for commercial endeavors,” said Lunar Outpost CEO, Justin Cyrus. “We look forward to leveraging the strengths of Lockheed Martin, a company with extensive human and advanced space systems experience, and our other industry teammates, GM, Goodyear and MDA Space, to provide an unparalleled technical offering at a commercially viable price point.”

NASA Statement

“We look forward to the development of the Artemis generation lunar exploration vehicle to help us advance what we learn at the Moon,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “This vehicle will greatly increase our astronauts’ ability to explore and conduct science on the lunar surface while also serving as a science platform between crewed missions.”

All Purpose Vehicle

Besides enduring the extreme lunar conditions of the Moon’s South Pole region, the new rover requirements include advanced power management, autonomous driving, communications and navigation systems. When crews are not actively using the rovers on their missions on the lunar surface, NASA also expects to be able to use the rovers remotely to “support NASA’s scientific objectives as needed.” NASA added that “Outside those times, the provider will have the ability to use their LTV for commercial lunar surface activities unrelated to NASA missions.”

“We will use the LTV to travel to locations we might not otherwise be able to reach on foot, increasing our ability to explore and make new scientific discoveries,” said Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “With the Artemis crewed missions, and during remote operations when there is not a crew on the surface, we are enabling science and discovery on the Moon year around.”

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Astronaut Robert D. Cabana, mission commander, on Space Suttle orbiter Endeavour’s flight deck, logs a note regarding operations with Unity in 1998.
Photo: NASA

Robert D. “Bob” Cabana, a former NASA astronaut, NASA Associate Administrator (the agency’s third highest-ranking executive) and Director of Kennedy Space Center, has joined IBX, a firm that invests in and fosters innovation in space-related companies. Founded by engineer and entrepreneur Kam Ghaffirian, IBX supports companies Ghaffirian helped found: Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, Quantum Space and X-energy along with other ventures. Cabana will serve as a Senior Advisor with the company.

Cabana, who flew on four Shuttle missions, as pilot on STS-41 and STS-53 and mission commander on STS-65 and STS-88, has logged 38 days in space. He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and served in the US Marines prior to joining NASA.

“I’m truly excited to join Kam’s innovative team at IBX, supporting the continued advancement of our nation’s space program and pushing the boundaries of technology for a brighter future on Earth and beyond,” said Cabana in a press released issued today by IBX.

Axiom Space

Axiom Space has managed the flights of three groups of astronauts to the International Space Station, and has a fourth flight scheduled for later this year. They also have a contract to provide NASA with the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), a spacesuit will provide astronauts advanced capabilities to access, live and work on and around the Moon.

Liftoff of Axiom-3 on January 18, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Axiom is also currently building the first segment of a commercial space station, Axiom Station. Working with Thales Alenia Space, fabrication is well underway with a planned launch in 2026.

Axiom Station rendering.
Graphic: Axiom Space

Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines just completed their first lunar landing with IM-1, a NASA Commercial Lunar Payload System (CLPS) mission that was the first successful American landing on the Moon’s surface since the end of the Apollo program in 1972.

Intuitive Machines IM-1 before launching to the moon.
Photo: Intuitive Machines

That mission was partially successful in that it did complete the lunar landing, but it also had issues with its lander’s navigation system that resulted with a lander on its side near the south pole of the Moon. Intuitive has another CLPS mission scheduled for later this year using another of its Nova-C landers, and the company has said that it will incorporate lessons learned to during IM-1 into its IM-2 mission planned for sometime in Q4 2024.

Quantum Space

Quantum Space is a company that plans to provide data services beyond low-Earth orbit, in geosynchronous and cislunar space. It is creating a laser-based system that will be utilized in a modular fleet of spacecraft that will incorporate external payloads as well as data collection based on its own systems.

Rendering of Quantum Space Ranger
Graphic: Quantum Space

The QS-1 spacecraft — Ranger — launch is ostensibly scheduled for late 2024 and will include off-the-shelf processor and navigation electronics provided by Beyond Gravity, a subsidiary of RUAG. According to the company, “Ranger is powered by storable chemical propulsion and can transport rideshare payloads, from cubesats to larger OTV [Orbital Test Vehicles.]”

X-energy

X-energy is a reactor and fuel design engineering company. It is developing a Generation IV high-temperature gas-cooled pebble-bed nuclear reactor design that do not rely on active systems or power to ensure reactor safety. They are also developing a new reactor fuel called TRISO-X that can withstand four times the temperature of current nuclear fuel, but is priced similarly to those older materials.

A completed TRISO-X unit is about the size of a billiards ball, and is filled with tiny particles of enriched fuel that is triple-wrapped in a high temperature carbon ceramic material that makes the unit self-contained, meltdown-proof and mechanically resilient unit. Compared to current nuclear fuel rods, it is far safer, making it an ideal candidate for the next generation of nuclear reactors.

Based in Rockwell, Maryland, X-energy has received grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance X-energy’s reactor development program. In March 2023, X-energy and Dow Inc agreed to develop a grid-scale next-generation Xe-100 nuclear reactor at one of Dow’s sites on the Gulf Coast of the US.

Undoubtedly, Cabana’s experience and expertise will quite an asset to IBX and the companies it is invested in, and also undoubtedly, Cabana will be a busy man, given all of the activities that these companies are taking part in.

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Screen-capture of SpaceX livestream of the AX3 reentry and splashdown. This shot was captured a few minutes after the capsule had landed safely.
Photo: SpaceX

The Axiom-3 mission has ended safely off the Florida coast near Daytona Beach. Michael López-Alegría, Commander of the the AX3 mission, reported a few minutes after the splashdown “flying SpaceX was our pleasure” and that “all four crew members are feeling well.”

SpaceX ground controllers were also pleased by the safe landing, telling the crew, “Thank you for flying SpaceX!”

Several Space Coast area residents reported that while the reentry was largely obscured by clouds overhead, they could definitely hear a sonic boom that heralded the return of Crew Dragon.

Historian and host of the podcast “Space And Things” Emily Carney told Talk of Titusville that she heard the sonic boom on the other side of Florida, “I could hear the sonic booms all the way in Saint Petersburg – they woke me up, they were quite impressive. I checked my newsfeed to verify Ax-3 was returning and that was the culprit!”

Winds Delayed Landing

Originally slated to land last weekend, the Axiom-3 return to Earth had been delayed several days due to inclement weather off both sides of the Florida peninsula. High winds also affected the timing of the liftoff of NASA’s PACE mission this week. The winds finally relented and allowed both the launch and the splashdown on Thursday and today, respectively, and both missions were completed successfully: PACE is on orbit and Axiom-3’s astronauts are back on the Earth.

Screen-capture of SpaceX livestream of the AX3 splashdown.
Photo: SpaceX

Next Steps

Crew Dragon Freedom will then return to Port Canaveral in Florida and astronauts will undergo post-flight health checks and debriefing. The capsule will return to Space X’s facilities at Kennedy Space Center for analysis, checkouts and hopefully refurbishment for the next mission.

Experiments performed by the crew aboard ISS will also be analyzed, a process that could extend for several months.

We reached out to Axiom Space to ascertain when a potential Axiom-4 mission could take place, and they told us, “NASA and Axiom Space have signed a mission order for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch no earlier than October 2024 from the agency’s NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.” On today’s SpaceX livestream, commentators mentioned that they were looking forward to working with the Axiom for that mission.

Last off of Crew Dragon was Mission Commander  Michael López-Alegría, who completed his second Crew Dragon flight and was an astronaut aboard STS-73, STS-92, STS-113, Soyuz TMA-9 (Expedition 14).
photo: SpaceX
AX-3 Mission Patch
Courtesy: Axiom Space
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SpaceX and NASA plan to launch the PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite at 1:33 AM EST Thursday from the company’s launch facility at SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral. Booster 1071 will return to the Cape and land about 5.6 miles away at Landing Zone 1 a little more than seven minutes after liftoff (T-plus 00:07:32.)

The launch has been delayed twice this week due to high winds created by an intense low-pressure system off the Florida coast in the Atlantic but it is now moving away, and winds have been steadily calming throughout the day. The 45th Weather Squadron’s Mission Execution Forecast calls for a 95% chance of acceptable conditions this morning.

A Sonic Boom Will Be Heard In The Space Coast Area

A sonic boom will accompany the landing and spread out through the Space Coast at roughly 1:41 AM EST. Remember that sound travels one mile in five seconds at sea level, so the specific time the sonic boom will arrive at your location will be relative to your distance from LZ-1.

PACE is a NASA Earth-observing satellite mission that will perform advanced observations of global ocean color, biogeochemistry, and ecology, as well as the carbon cycle, aerosols, and clouds. That data is key to identifying the scope of climate changes in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The launch trajectory is roughly due south, so areas in southern Brevard County may hear louder than normal launch rumble, and it may last longer as the flying booster passes by.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on NASA+ and NASA Television about 45 minutes before liftoff.

Axiom-3 Landing Planned for Friday Near Daytona Beach

The Axiom-3 crew aboard the International Space Station
Photo: Axiom Space

The return of the Axiom-3 crew has also been affected by windy conditions; SpaceX and Axiom Space have announced that the splashdown of the Dragon capsule should be around 7:25 AM Friday. AX-3 astronauts Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Walter Villadei, Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı, and Mission Specialist Marcus Wandt departed ISS at 9:20 AM EST today.

“We hope you had a wonderful time on station, and we’re looking forward to seeing your smiling faces,” SpaceX ground control told the astronauts as the departed ISS.

On Wednesday, February 7 at 9:20 a.m. ET, Dragon autonomously undocked 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 Earth’s atmosphere for splashdown off the coast of Florida approximately two days later on Friday, February 9.

SpaceX, retrieved 2/7/2024 1:00 PM EST

Splashdown is currently planned for near Daytona Beach. That is subject to change, however, as wave height, wind and rain in the landing area must meet NASA and SpaceX’s criteria for the safe return and retrieval of the Dragon spacecraft.

Locally, it’s somewhat unlikely that most people in Brevard County will hear the sonic boom that heralds a returning spacecraft to Earth. Residents can see Crew Dragon streaking across the sky as it re-enters by looking northwards, relatively low to the horizon.

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Timelapse of SpaceX/NASA Crew-6 Re-entry over Biolab Road in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in 2023. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX announced overnight that the expected return of the Axiom-3 astronauts aboard a Crew Dragon has been delayed.

SpaceX, Axiom Space, and NASA are targeting no earlier than Tuesday,

Dragon and the Ax-3 crew are now targeting no earlier than Tuesday, February 6 at 9:05 a.m. ET to undock from the [International Space Station.] Teams continue to keep an eye on recovery weather conditions

SpaceX, February 4, 2024

The company also added more information on their website:

February 6 at 9:05 a.m. ET 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 Earth’s atmosphere for splashdown off the coast of Florida approximately nine hours later the same day.

SpaceX, Ax-3 Mission, Retrieved February 4, 2024
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