{"id":17293,"date":"2023-05-21T19:53:28","date_gmt":"2023-05-21T11:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacex-sends-axioms-crew-including-two-saudis-to-do-research-on-space-station\/"},"modified":"2023-05-21T19:53:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-21T11:53:28","slug":"spacex-sends-axioms-crew-including-two-saudis-to-do-research-on-space-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacex-sends-axioms-crew-including-two-saudis-to-do-research-on-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX sends Axiom\u2019s crew, including two Saudis, to do research on space station"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket rises from its pad, sending four astronauts into space. (Axiom Space via YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SpaceX and Axiom Space teamed up today to send four spacefliers \u2014 including the first Saudi woman in orbit \u2014 to the International Space Station for a 10-day trip focusing on zero-gravity research.<\/p>\n

SpaceX\u2019s two-stage Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:37 p.m. ET (2:37 p.m. PT) at the end of a trouble-free countdown, sending a Crew Dragon capsule toward a space station rendezvous.<\/p>\n

After stage separation, the Falcon 9\u2019s first-stage booster flew itself back to a landing zone near the launch pad while the second stage pushed the Crew Dragon into orbit. That marked the first time a Falcon 9 booster made a touchdown on land (as opposed to at sea) after launching a crewed mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a phenomenal ride,\u201d Axiom mission commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut who holds the U.S. record for cumulative time in space, told Mission Control from zero-G.<\/p>\n

The mission, which is Texas-based Axiom Space\u2019s second expedition to the space station, combines public and private-sector initiatives: NASA, SpaceX and Axiom are coordinating operations in orbit. Mission pilot John Shoffner, a Tennessee business executive who\u2019s also a race car driver and competitive skydiver, purchased one of the seats on the Crew Dragon at a cost that\u2019s thought to be somewhere in the range of $55 million.<\/p>\n

The Saudi government is paying the fare for the Ax-2 mission\u2019s two other crew members: Rayyanah Barnawi, Saudi Arabia\u2019s first female spaceflier, is a biochemist specializing in stem cell research. Ali Alqarni is a Saudi Air Force fighter pilot. Only one other Saudi citizen has previously been to space: Prince Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud, who flew on the shuttle Discovery in 1985.<\/p>\n

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A camera inside the Crew Dragon capsule shows the Ax-2 crew after liftoff. (Axiom Space via YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Barnawi\u2019s background is well-suited for the research-centric mission. One of the more than 20 scientific experiments and technological demonstrations will make use of human stem cells cultivated by Seattle\u2019s Allen Institute for Cell Science. That project, led by Cedars-Sinai, is aimed at finding out whether microgravity can aid in the mass production of pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic purposes.<\/p>\n

Other experiments will focus on DNA-inspired therapeutics, tissue regeneration in zero-G, stem cell aging, cloud seeding in microgravity, tissue regeneration in zero-G and a host of other science frontiers. The crew will test a new type of \u201cskinsuit\u201d that could help future astronauts keep more fit in low-gravity environments.<\/p>\n

Ax-2\u2019s crew members are expected to hook up with the space station on Monday, meet up with the space station\u2019s seven long-term residents, and then spend about a week on the orbital outpost. The mission will end with the Crew Dragon\u2019s departure from the station and its descent to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n

Axiom Space has laid plans for at least two more short-duration missions to the space station in the next year or two. An Italian Air Force colonel is one of the scheduled spacefliers. Previous reports have suggested that a Turkish astronaut, Hollywood actor Tom Cruise and the winner of a \u201cSpace Hero\u201d TV competition could also be on future crew lists.<\/p>\n

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