Axiom Mission 3 Crew Arrives at International Space Station for Scientific Endeavor

ISTANBUL: The International Space Station (ISS) welcomed the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew with a special ceremony on Saturday, following their successful docking. This event marked a significant moment as it included the introduction of Turkey’s first-ever astronaut, Alper Gezeravci, among the four-person team.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Ax-3 crew, consisting of Michael Lopez-Alegria, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:49 p.m. ET on Thursday. Their journey to the ISS was aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, provided by SpaceX, the renowned private space exploration company. The crew’s spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS at 5:42 a.m. EST on Saturday and they entered the station at 07:16 EST.

During their 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-3 team plans to conduct over 30 scientific research projects. ISS commander Andreas Mogensen highlighted the significance of this mission, stating, “This is an incredibly exciting time for human spaceflight with the third private mission, which is allowing many more countries to participate in the scientific research and technology development that we do onboard this orbiting laboratory.” He also emphasized the expansion of international representation on the ISS, with the number of nationalities onboard doubling from four to eight.

Alper Gezeravci expressed his pride in being Turkey’s first astronaut and his eagerness to contribute to science and research efforts. Michael Lopez-Alegria, the leader of the Ax-3 mission, remarked on the symbolic nature of the mission in expanding human access to low Earth orbit and the diverse nationalities represented on board. Pilot Walter Villadei shared his amazement at being on the ISS and witnessing the fruits of international collaboration in creating the space outpost. Crew member Marcus Wandt also shared his enthusiasm about orbiting Earth for 36 hours.