It is the first European trade mission and will last two weeks. The crew, launched from a Space X Falcon9, travels aboard the Dragon Crew capsule of Elon Musk's space company
Successfully launched Axiom Space's first European commercial Ax-3 mission with Italian astronaut Walter Villadei on board. The crew was launched into space by a Space X Falcon9 and travels aboard the Dragon Crew capsule of Elon Musk's space company. Traveling with the Italian astronaut, pilot of the shuttle, are the crew commander and NASA veteran Michael Lopez-Alegria, the Swede Marcus Wandt, astronaut of the new class of the European Space Agency, and the first Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravci. The Ax-3 it should dock with the ISS on Saturday 20th in the Italian morning.
The mission
The Ax-3 mission changes the paradigm of space missions and projects them into the new era of space business, the mission is entirely commercial and entirely European, furthermore Ax-3 serves to trace the trajectory of what will be Axiom's first commercial space station Space circa 2030. “Thank you all, without you we wouldn't be here,” Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria said in a video recorded before launch.
Villadei: “A privilege and an honor”
“It is a privilege to fly on the Ax-3 mission” said Italian Air Force colonel and astronaut Walter Villadei in one of the last public speeches before the launch. “For me it is an honor to be able to bring this same Tricolor on board the International Space Station” underlined Villadei in a video recorded shortly before departure. Ax-3 “is the first mission that takes place entirely in the Space Economy sector led by the Ministry of Defense, and this demonstrates the extraordinary skills, abilities and professionalism that all the women who wear the uniform every day carry around the world together to the tricolor”, Villadei also said before leaving for the Space Station.
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