All articles tagged with #spacex crew dragon
The private Ax-4 astronauts are returning to Earth on July 14, with their undocking from the ISS scheduled for early morning, and the reentry and splashdown will be streamed live by NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space.
The ISS hosted the arrival of the Axiom Mission-4 crew aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon 'Grace', marking a record for research with over 60 experiments from 31 countries, while the Expedition 73 crew continued scientific and maintenance activities, exploring how humans adapt to microgravity and conducting various experiments.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams, currently aboard the International Space Station, plans to celebrate Thanksgiving with her crew by enjoying a special meal and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Despite an extended stay due to issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule, Williams emphasizes she is not "stranded" and is in good health. She and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth in February via a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. Williams remains optimistic about future Starliner missions once technical issues are resolved.
Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furakawa attempted to photograph Mount Fuji from the International Space Station but accidentally captured a picture of a tool bag that was dropped during a NASA spacewalk and became space junk. The tool bag, now given an orbital number, is still being tracked as it orbits Earth. The incident highlights the challenges astronauts face when trying to capture specific targets on Earth from space.
Axiom Space is refining the training for its upcoming Ax-3 private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), incorporating lessons learned from previous missions. The crew, commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, consists of three customers: Walter Villadei of Italy, Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey, and Marcus Wandt of Sweden. The training for Ax-3 has been optimized to focus on relevant activities and improve time management skills. The crew members' backgrounds as military pilots have contributed to their preparedness, and the training has been supported by their earlier experience in military aircraft. The mission is scheduled to launch in January 2023 on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of a private space mission, will return to space next month aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Whitson and three other astronauts will dock with the International Space Station for a 10-day mission, during which they plan to conduct more than 20 different experiments related to science, outreach, and commercial activities. Axiom plans to launch the first module of its commercial space station in 2025.