{"id":10206,"date":"2024-01-11T22:24:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T14:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/astronauts-ready-for-first-all-european-mission-to-the-international-space-station\/"},"modified":"2024-01-11T22:24:01","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T14:24:01","slug":"astronauts-ready-for-first-all-european-mission-to-the-international-space-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/astronauts-ready-for-first-all-european-mission-to-the-international-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"Astronauts ready for first, all-European mission to the International Space Station"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Left to right) Ax-3 Mission Specialist Marcus Wandt, Pilot Walter Villadei, Commander Michael L\u00f3pez-Alegr\u00eda, Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravc\u0131. Image: Axiom Space<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the third time, Axiom Space is preparing a charter mission to the International Space Station. The Ax-3 mission carries the distinction of featuring an all-European crew, with Commander Michael L\u00f3pez-Alegr\u00eda being a dual citizen of both the United States and Spain.<\/p>\n

Following the Flight Readiness Review on Wednesday, the crew spoke about their upcoming mission amid their ongoing quarantine in Florida, which has been in place for a little over a week. They are set to launch to the ISS, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 5:11 p.m. EST (2211 UTC).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very proud to being leading this mission to the International Space Station. It\u2019s important not just for the scientific research and technology demonstrations and outreach events we will do, but it\u2019s a very important step towards Axiom Space having a commercial space station in orbit before the decade is out,\u201d said L\u00f3pez-Alegr\u00eda.<\/p>\n

The commander of the Ax-3 mission is returning to the station for the second time as both a mission commander and a private astronaut. He previously flew as a crew member on three Space Shuttle missions and Expedition 14 via Soyuz TMA-9.<\/p>\n

The pilot of the mission, Walter Villadei, a colonel in the Italian Air Force and head of the ItAF\u2019s U.S. office overseeing commercial spaceflight will be making his second flight onboard a U.S. spacecraft. He previously flew onboard the suborbital Virgin Galactic flight dubbed Unity 23.<\/p>\n

Villadei will become just the second non-U.S. citizen to pilot a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, following the launch of the Crew-7 mission with European Space Agency astronaut and current ISS commander Andreas Mogensen in the pilot\u2019s chair.<\/p>\n

He also served as the backup pilot for John Shoffner on the Ax-2 mission last year and said being able to learn along side him was invaluable.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gave me some tips, especially to try to be focused on the screens and enjoy the flight. He\u2019s been very, very professional. His flight was very smooth,\u201d Villadei said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a great privilege to be in training with him. So, I look forward to being as good a pilot as he was for Ax-2.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the mission specialists onboard the flight, Alper Gezeravc\u0131, will become the first Turkish astronaut to head to space. He noted that the mission comes during the centennial celebration for T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the children of this nation, we have always been blocked with the limit of the sky that we could see with our bare eyes and now, this mission is opening that curtain all the way to the end and our path, our journey starting from this moment on,\u201d Gezeravc\u0131 said. \u201cThis is the beginning of our next centennial future history that we will be really proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n

During their 14-day mission on board the space station, they will collectively perform more than 30 scientific experiments and more than 50 outreach events.<\/p>\n

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ESA astronaut Marcus Wandt stands next to a SpaceX Crew Dragon training capsule amid the preparations for the Ax-3 mission. Image: ESA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marcus Wandt, an astronaut not only representing Sweden, but also the European Space Agency (ESA), said some of the work he\u2019s most looking forward to includes experiments dealing with stem cells.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking at how the stem cells are affected and their proliferation and how they\u2019re diversified after and that effect after being in microgravity,\u201d Wandt said. It\u2019s been tried with sounding rockets in Sweden before and now we\u2019re getting a longer exposure during this mission on the stem cells.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to the work, the astronauts are also bringing some small items of significance to themselves as well as the countries that they represent. Wandt said among his items will be a Nobel Prize medal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows the significance of innovation and dedication to science and knowledge progress. That\u2019s an important part for me and that\u2019s something I\u2019m bringing,\u201d Wandt said.<\/p>\n