NASA’s Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) launch set for January 17

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX will launch Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) on January 17. This is the third private mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The Ax-3 mission will liftoff from Launch Compelx 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:11 p.m. EST.

SpaceX will be the launch provider for this mission using the Falcon 9 reusable rocket and Dragon spacecraft to host the passengers around the orbit before docking to ISS.

The live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities and docking operations on NASA+ streaming service. The coverage will also be broadcast by Axiom Space and SpaceX.

Regarding the launch, SpaceX has already set up Dragon at pad 39A in Florida to prepare for this mission.

Dragon arrives at the hangar at pad 39A in Florida ahead of next week’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-3 to the @space_station pic.twitter.com/w1moadyhgP

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 12, 2024

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The flight aboard Ax-3 crew members are Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Walter Villadei of Italy, Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey, and ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden.

The Axiom AX-3 mission docking is scheduled for Friday, January 19, and the hatch opens at 7 a.m. EAST.

(source – NASA)