On Friday (April 8) at 11:17 a.m. east, the Axiom-1 launched a reusable SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral, Florida. The flight embarked on a 10-day mission for the first all-private mission to Axiom Space, a Houston-based company near NASA’s Johnson Space Center that seeks to place the first commercial low-orbit space station on Earth sometime this decade. . Everything went smoothly before the flight for the most part. The staff noticed a slight loss of pressure after the first hatch was sealed, so a ground crew reopened and sealed it again about two hours before take-off. Two minutes and 45 seconds after launch, the much-anticipated first stage – the bottom two-thirds of the rocket – separated from the upper stage and successfully navigated back to Earth, landing on an unmanned SpaceX spacecraft floating in the Atlantic ocean. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was launched Friday (April 8th) shortly before noon local time with the four members of the Axiom-1 mission crew. Anadolu Agency / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images Meanwhile, the Axiom-1 crew was “cutting and shouting” along the way, Axiom-1 pilot and US real estate investor Larry Connor said during a video message at SpaceX headquarters the next day. The commander and former astronaut of the NASA space shuttle Michael López-Alegría remained “diplomatic” during the applause, Connor added. They were led into a SpaceX Dragon Endeavor crew capsule, which is now in its third mission to the ISS. As soon as this robotic cocoon reached its targeted orbit about 12 minutes after launch, the crew was comfortable and had their first meals for the mission. The Axiom-1 mission menu includes Iberian ham and chicken paella, according to a video stream aired by SpaceX during the pre-launch show. The food was prepared by the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen, headed by the famous chef José Andrés. A “Caramel the Dog” stuffed animal traveled through space with the Axiom-1. This is the mascot for Montreal Children’s Hospital in Canada. Axiom Space Caramel the Dog, the mascot for the Montreal Children’s Foundation, made its appearance after its release. Astronauts typically use stuffed animals as markers of zero G, which allows them to see if the weightlessness has entered or not, while remaining securely tied in place. A camera inside Endeavor broadcast Axiom-1’s first zero-G light gravity flight. The game was chosen because Mission Specialist and Canadian businessman Mark Pathy is working with Canadian health centers as part of his charity project. The 21-hour journey to the space station was blocked at the end. When Endeavor reached the ISS and attempted to dock, the astronauts on the space station could not see the power from an Endeavor camera that was necessary for the landing process. The connection was delayed for about 45 minutes as the teams found a solution, which was eventually achieved through support from SpaceX and NASA headquarters. SpaceX Dragon Endeavor transporting Axiom-1 astronauts approaches the International Space Station on April 9, 2022.NASA / Flickr At 10:13 a.m. Saturday (April 9th), the Axiom-1 crew successfully moored into the ISS, bringing the lab population into orbit at 11. The space station already housed Expedition 67, a mission consisting of three NASA astronauts. , a European astronaut and three Roscosmos cosmonauts. A NASA blog post published Monday (April 11th) details the scientific work they will be assisting during their eight days on the space station. The experiments will address questions about genetic markers in cellular aging, changes in brain activity in microgravity and a DNA processing system. Monday marked Flight Day 4 of the Axiom-1.
