In late January, a record-tying 20 people were in space simultaneously, with 11 on the International Space Station, three on China's Tiangong space station, and six aboard Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane. This milestone was achieved during the private Ax-3 mission and Virgin Galactic's Galactic 06 flight. The previous record was set in May 2023 with 17 people in orbit. With ongoing developments in private space stations and plans for lunar and Martian settlements, the current record is expected to be surpassed in the near future.
The departing Ax-3 astronaut crew left a surprise for the International Space Station (ISS) crew by leaving behind some peanut butter in the airlock entrance as they undocked and headed back to Earth. Peanut butter has been a staple of astronaut food for decades, and it was a special treat for the ISS crew, as the Ax-3 mission coincided with National Peanut Butter Day. This gesture adds to the history of peanuts and peanut butter in space, dating back to the Gemini and Apollo programs, and continues to be a part of space missions, including the ISS.
SpaceX's Ax-3 mission, with astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Alper Gezeravc, and Marcus Wandt, is set to splashdown off the coast of Pensacola, targeting Tuesday at 8:05 a.m. for departure from the International Space Station.
SpaceX and Axiom Space are considering Pensacola as the splashdown location for the Ax-3 mission, with the Federal Aviation Administration restricting airspace off the coast for "space operations." The crew is set to undock from the International Space Station on Tuesday morning, and the Gulf of Mexico is favored over the Atlantic for the splashdown due to weather conditions. Residents in Alabama and Mississippi may hear a sonic boom as the Dragon capsule returns.
The private Ax-3 mission's four astronauts will leave the International Space Station in their SpaceX Dragon capsule no earlier than Monday, Feb. 5, due to bad weather affecting their splashdown zone. The departure can be watched live on Space.com or via NASA. Ax-3 is the third crewed mission to the ISS organized by Axiom Space and features the first all-European crewed mission to the ISS. The astronauts have been conducting over 30 scientific experiments during their time in orbit, and SpaceX is preparing for another astronaut flight, the Crew-8 mission for NASA, targeted to lift off on Feb. 22.
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom is set to arrive at the International Space Station early on Jan. 20, carrying the four astronauts of the private Ax-3 mission. The docking is scheduled for around 4:19 a.m. EST, and the rendezvous and docking activities can be watched live on Space.com or via NASA's coverage. This is the third crewed mission to the ISS organized by Axiom Space, and the astronauts will conduct various research investigations during their 14-day stay aboard the orbital laboratory before returning to Earth with a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida.
SpaceX successfully launched the Ax-3 Mission, a private mission to the International Space Station funded by Axiom Space, with a crew of four, including the first Turkish astronaut in space. The mission aims to conduct experiments and pave the way for Axiom's own space station.
SpaceX is set to launch the private Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station on Jan. 17 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission, managed by Axiom Space, will send four astronauts, including the first citizen of Turkey to reach space, for a two-week stay. The crew will conduct over 30 science experiments during their time aboard the ISS. If the launch readiness review goes well, a Falcon 9 rocket will send the astronauts skyward aboard a Dragon capsule on Wednesday at 5:11 p.m. EST.
