A SpaceX Crew Dragon safely delivered four individual astronauts — not affiliated with any space agency — to the International Space Station this preceding Saturday . With the Axiom crew now onboard , the first all - private delegation to the ISS can get down to business .
SpaceX capsule Endeavor hit the ISS at 8:20 a.m. EDT on Saturday , April 9 , following a nearly 21 - hr journeying . The work party of the Ax-1 delegation — Michael López - Alegría , Larry Connor , Eytan Stibbe , and Mark Pathy — launchedatop a Falcon 9 rocket engine on Thursday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida . The ISS is currently orbiting at a height of 260 miles ( 418 kilometer ) above Earth .
The dockage would ’ve happened 45 minutes originally , had it not been for a trouble having to do with ISS work party members not being able to receive TV from the Crew Dragon ’s center line television camera . land controller remedied the job by rout out video recording from a SpaceX dry land station , accordingto NASA .
Eleven astronauts now occupy the ISS. The four Axiom crew members are standing (floating?) upright at the back.Image: NASA
The four gang members will stay on the orbital outstation for eight days , where they will perform some 25 experiments having to do with science , education , and commercial activities . Axiom Space is aiming to make the world ’s first amply commercial space station , the construction of which is slated to begin at the ISS in late 2024 . The Ax-1 commission represent an important milestone in the on-going commercialization of blue Earth orbit .
Theopeningof the Crew Dragon hatch encounter at 10:13 a.m. EDT , whereupon the Expedition 67 crew welcomed the Ax-1 team . The addition of these four serviceman bring the total ISS population to 11 , the others being NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn , Kayla Barron , Raja Chari , ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer , and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Korsokov , Oleg Artemyev , and Denis Matveev . Three members of the Ax-1 crew received a pin from the Association of Space Explorers ( ASE ) to formally recognize their new status as astronaut .
“ There ’s a tradition when you pass a certain limit , you become an astronaut . That take place to these three gentlemen for the first time yesterday . Now I ’d wish to mark it formally , ” López - Alegría , a former NASA spaceman , read during Saturday ’s welcome ceremonial occasion . “ When I pin these on — I retrieve the number are 582 , 583 , and 584 for Larry , Eytan , and Mark — I hope they will outwear these with the pride they deserve , ” he say , in mention to the total issue of formally recognized astronauts to particular date .
Crew Dragon Endeavor docked at the ISS.Image: Axiom Space
La vida es corta ; vívala a stupa ! 📸 NASApic.twitter.com/nsw6C4g9k0
— Michael L - A ( @CommanderMLA)April 10 , 2022
The Ax-1 team is now correct to microgravity and familiarizing themselves with the blank place . On Sunday , López - Alegríatweetedout a stunning simulacrum of Earth , saying : “ La vida es corta ; vívala a tope ! , ” which translates from Spanish to English as “ lifetime is brusk ; subsist it to the full ! ”
Axiomsaidthe first day was mostly about prepare equipment for what will be a very busy week . The team has just 100 hour to dispatch their various tasks . you’re able to learn more about the Ax-1 missionary post and what the squad is attempt to achievehere .
AquanautsAxiom SpaceOuter spaceReusable spacecraftSpaceflightSPACEXSpaceX Dragon 2
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