The four crew members on the mission, known as AX-1, landed from the ISS aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule at approximately 9 p.m. ET Sunday and they flew freely through orbit gradually. reduce their elevation overnight. They were scheduled to pounce around 1 p.m. ET on Monday, finally completing a mission that took a week longer than expected as bad weather and other delays drove their departure.
The mission was commissioned by Axiom Space, a Houston, Texas-based startup that booked rocket rides. Provide all necessary training and coordinate flights to the ISS for anyone who can afford it. There were four crew members on this flight — Michael López-Alegría. A former astronaut turned NASA astronaut who commands the mission. Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe; Canadian investor Mark Pathy; and Larry Connor, a real estate magnate in Ohio.
The return of Splashdown was the most dangerous phase of the mission. The Crew Dragon capsule was traveling at more than 17,000 miles per hour. and at the start of the last leg of the descent The exterior of the Crew Dragon capsule heats up to about 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. as it slices back into the thickest part of Earth’s atmosphere Inside the spaceship’s cabin Passengers are protected by heat shields. and the temperature should be below 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Crew Dragon then places a parachute suit as it crashes into the Atlantic Ocean. Rescue teams will wait near the splash point to pull the spacecraft out of the ocean and board a special vessel known as the “Dragon Nest,” where a final safety check will be conducted before the crew disembarks.
The AX-1, which was launched on April 8, was originally billed as a 10-day mission but was eventually extended to 17 days, 15 of which were spent on the International Space Station.
During the first day on the space station The group sticks to a strict schedule that includes around 14 hours of activities per day. including scientific research that Designed by research hospitals, universities, technology companies and many others, they also spend time outreach activities with video conferencing with children and students.
The weather delay made them “There is a little more time to absorb the incredible scenery of the blue planet. and reviewing the enormous amount of work that was successfully accomplished during the mission.”
It’s not clear how much the mission will cost. Axiom previously disclosed a $55 million per seat price for a 10-day trip to the International Space Station. But the company declined to comment on the financial conditions for this specific mission. It’s too much to say at a press conference last year that the price was in the tens of millions.”
The mission is made possible through close coordination between Axiom, SpaceX and NASA as the ISS is funded and operated by the government. And the space agency has released some details about the cost for running the 20-year-old orbital lab.
for each mission The necessary support from NASA astronauts would cost commercial customers $5.2 million, and all the support and mission planning that NASA lends would be another $4.8 million while in space. Meals alone cost about $2,000 per day per person. Supplying supplies to and from the space station for the commercial crew is an additional $88,000 to $164,000 per person per day.
But the extra days spent by the AX-1 crew in space due to weather conditions won’t add to the overall personal price tag, according to a NASA statement.
“Due to the knowledge that ISS mission objectives, such as the Russian spacewalk or recent climate challenges, could delay take-off, NASA has negotiated a contract with a strategy that does not require reimbursement for delays. in further removal,” the statement said.
The AX-1 is not the first time a paying customer or non-astronaut has visited the ISS as Russia has sold seats on the Soyuz spacecraft to various rich thrill seekers in the past year
But the AX-1 was the first mission with A crew composed entirely of private citizens without members of the government astronauts who accompany them in capsules during their journey to and from the ISS. It is also the first time a private citizen has traveled to the International Space Station in a spacecraft that Made in the USA
The mission has kicked off a new round of debate over whether those paying to travel to space should be called the “supreme force”. Although it should be noted that traveling to the ISS requires more investment of time and money than receiving it. sit on a small rocket created by companies such as Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic.
López-Alegria A veteran of four voyages into space between 1995 and 2007 during his time with NASA had this to say: “This mission is unlike anything you might have heard of on some recent missions. Especially the suborbital – missions. We are not space travelers. I think it plays a big role for space tourism. But it’s not what Axiom was talking about.”
Although paying customers do not receive astronaut wings from the US government. Instead, they received the “Universal Astronaut Insignia,” a gold pin designed by the Association of Space Explorers, an international group of astronauts from 38 countries. López-Alegría gave the pins to Stibbe, Pathy and Connor during a welcome ceremony after the group. arrive at the space station
