Axiom Mission 3: Third private astronaut mission set to launch next week

The third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 3 or Ax-3, is set to launch on Wednesday, January 17. Four private astronauts will launch to the station aboard the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) quartet is commanded by Michael Lopez-Alegria from the U.S. and piloted by Walter Villadei from Italy. The Ax-3 crew includes Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravci from Turkey and Marcus Wandt from Sweden.

The mission will carry dozens of investigations sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, majority of which will test technology that could be valuable for future long-duration spaceflight.

The crew will conduct will conduct more than 30 experiments aboard the orbital outpost for the benefit of humanity.

Coverage of prelaunch and launch activities and the spacecraft docking will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Get excited for the first crewed launch of 2024!Liftoff of the Axiom Mission 3 to the @Space_Station is scheduled for 5:11pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from Launch Complex 39A.Tune in for live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities: https://t.co/6cJRlzdcbR pic.twitter.com/yT9CYKeIcV

— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) January 11, 2024