Rich trio back on Earth after charter trip to space station
They are scheduled to return to Earth on Monday, April 25, 2022 after a trip to the International Space Station. Before departing the space station Sunday night, the group thanked their seven hosts, including three NASA astronauts whose own mission is nearing an end. Last fall, a Russian film crew flew up, followed by a Japanese fashion mogul and his assistant. SpaceX will attempt to launch three NASA astronauts and one Italian to the space station as soon as Wednesday. Axiom’s second flight is set for early next year as the company looks ahead to having its own space station by 2030.
wftv.comSpaceX’s 1st all-private mission departs International Space Station after week of delays
The first all-private mission to the International Space Station is homeward bound after a series of delays extended the mission by an additional week. >> Read more trending newsSpaceX’s Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission undocked from the ISS at about 9:10 p.m. EDT and began its 16-hour return flight, capping a two-week science mission “hailed as a milestone in commercial spaceflight,” Reuters reported. The mission was brokered by the Houston, Texas-based startup Axiom Space and included Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut-turned-Axiom employee who is commanding the mission; Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe; Canadian investor Mark Pathy; and Ohio-based real estate magnate Larry Connor among its crew, CNN reported. The three private citizens paid $55 million each to be part of the mission, the AP reported. >> Related: SpaceX’s Axiom Space Ax-1, 1st all-private mission, docks at International Space StationThe Dragon capsule, dubbed Endeavour, is slated to parachute into the Atlantic off the coast of Florida on Monday at around 1 p.m. EDT.
wftv.comAx-1 undocking, splashdown delayed to Sunday due to high winds, NASA says
The undocking of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the four Ax-1 astronauts will now undock from the International Space Station no earlier than Sunday night, according to Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate.
A private Ax-1 astronaut will test making a liquid telescope mirror in space
Ax-1's Mission Specialist Eytan Stibbe will perform the Fluidic Telescope Experiment (FLUTE), on behalf of NASA and the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, investigating the use of liquids to construct telescope lenses in microgravity.
space.comSpaceX’s Axiom Space Ax-1, 1st all-private mission, docks at International Space Station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX’s Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission, the first all-private charter mission into space, docked at the International Space Station on Saturday. The launch was the first private charter flight to the orbiting lab, according to The Associated Press. The crew trained for more than 1,000 hours to prepare for the mission, according to WFTV. It was the fifth flight for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster and the third for this particular Dragon capsule, according to the television station. Visit the Axiom Space Twitter account and Axiom Space for live updates on the mission.
wftv.com‘A new era’: SpaceX launches Axiom Space’s 1st all-private mission to the Space Station – WFTV
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission, the first all-private mission to the International Space Station, launched from Kennedy Space Center Friday. The Dragon spacecraft, carrying commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Larry Connor, mission specialist Eytan Stibbe and mission specialist Mark Pathy, lifted off from launch pad 39-A just after 11 a.m.Axiom Executive Chairman Kam Ghaffarian said the launch is just the beginning of future missions involving private astronauts. Video: First all-private astronaut mission to ISS set to liftoff from Kennedy Space Center this weeAxiom is working toward building the first private space station in low-earth orbit, with the first habitat module launching sometime in 2024. This was the fifth flight for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster and the third for this particular Dragon capsule. Read: Axiom-1: 1st all-private crewed mission to space station ready to launch from Space CoastFollowing the launch, the Falcon 9′s first-stage booster landed on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
wftv.comHappening Friday: SpaceX set to launch of Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX is preparing to launch Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission to the International Space Station Friday. Following the launch, the Falcon 9′s first-stage booster will land on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Video: First all-private astronaut mission to ISS set to liftoff from Kennedy Space Center this weekAxiom Space’s Ax-1 mission is the first all-private mission to the ISS and is composed of commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Larry Connor, mission specialist Eytan Stibbe and mission specialist Mark Pathy. Read: Axiom-1: 1st all-private crewed mission to space station ready to launch from Space CoastYou can watch the launch here as it happens and on Channel 9. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
wftv.comAx-1 private mission to space station: Live updates
On April 3, 2022, SpaceX and the private spaceflight company Axiom Space will make history with the launch of Ax-1, the first all-private mission to the International Space Station. Ax-1 will send four private space travelers on a 10-day trip to the station to conduct science and push commercial spaceflight forward. They will fly on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket. Its crew includes former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría and paying passengers Larry Connor, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe. See our full coverage of the Ax-1 mission below. Ax-1 mission explained | Axiom Space | International Space Station
space.comAxiom Space, SpaceX target April for ISS launch with private crew
Axiom Space and SpaceX have pushed back slightly their planned launch date of the Axiom Mission 1, which will take the first ever all-private crew to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center, according to a news release.
SpaceX preparing to take private astronauts to ISS in historic launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — For the first time, SpaceX is preparing to launch private astronauts to the International Space Station. The Axiom Space crew will spend a week aboard the station conducting their own experiments, and their commercial flight will be the first of many to come. Axiom Mission 1 is set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in February. “It’ll be a lot like Inspiration 4, but this one is going to the International Space Station. They’re going to (have) some quality time there, take advantage of the research capabilities that the ISS provides.”The private astronauts will perform about 25 experiments aboard the space station.
wftv.comWealthy international crew forks over millions to fly Crew Dragon to space station
Image credit: AxiomCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A group of uber-rich international businessmen will fly in a SpaceX Crew Dragon to the International Space Station, launching from Florida within a year, Axiom Space revealed Tuesday. SpaceX made history last year, becoming the first private company to fly NASA astronauts to the space station, returning human spaceflight operations from Florida’s Space Coast. The company said in a tweet, “We are in conversation with numerous private astronaut prospects of all backgrounds at all times. In addition to private spaceflight for paying customers, Axiom plans to build a private space station that will first be attached to the current International Space Station. Nearly one year ago, NASA revealed Axiom Space had been awarded access to the space station’s Node 2 Forward port to begin building its commercial space station.
Houston company tapped by NASA to build first private space station, attaching to ISS
ORLANDO, Fla. – NASA has selected Axiom Space, a private company based in Houston, to build the first stages of a private space station that will operate long after the International Space Station is retired. NASA announced Monday that Axiom Space was awarded access to the International Space Station’s Node 2 Forward port to begin building its commercial space station that could ultimately replace the ISS. The whole structure will form the “Axiom Segment” of the current ISS. When the ISS is decommissioned, the Axiom Segment will detach and continue on as a private space station circling the Earth. Axiom Space was co-founded in 2016 by former NASA ISS program manager Michael Sufferedini and space entrepreneur Dr. Kam Ghaffarian.