Members of the first completely private mission to the International Space Station (ISS), organized by Axiom Space and SpaceX, returned to Earth on Monday. The Dragon capsule has been safely launched off the coast of Florida.
The Axiom 1 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has ended. The space tourists returned to Earth on Monday. They spent several days on the International Space Station. The organizers of this completely private first mission are Axiom Space and SpaceX. The Dragon 2 Endeavor capsule was delivered into orbit on April 8 by Elon Musk’s rocket.
There was applause at SpaceX’s air traffic control center on the outskirts of Los Angeles on Monday as parachutes opened over the capsule in the final stage of its descent — slowing its descent, and again as the ship set off off the coast of Jacksonville.
Axiom 1 mission completedENEX
Axiom Mission Members 1
Three businessmen participated in the mission. The crew chief was a former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space Vice President Michael Lopez Alegria. The civilian astronauts who paid nearly $55 million for the mission are Larry Connor, Mark Pathy and Eitan Stipe. Connor, 72, an entrepreneur and acrobatic pilot, has served as Lopez Allegria’s deputy. The crew was selected, equipped and trained by Axiom, headed by former NASA chief Michael Suffredini for the International Space Station. The return of the amateur astronauts was initially scheduled for April 20, but was postponed due to bad weather.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the manned Crew Dragon module launched on the Axiom 1 (Ax-1) mission on the International Space StationPAP / EPA / NASA / Joel Kowsky HANDOUT
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a manned Crew Dragon module ready for liftoff as part of Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) from NASA’s Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FloridaPAP / EPA / NASA / Joel Kowsky HANDOUT
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