The Stars My Destination: Ax-1

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
From 8-25 April 2022, Spacecraft CDR Mike López-Alegría (private), Pilot Larry Connor (private), Mission Specialist 1 Eytan Stibbe (private), & Mission Specialist 2 Mark Pathy (private) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour (Dragon C206) atop a Falcon 9 rocket, spent fifteen-plus days docked to the International Space Station (I.S.S.), splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, & were recovered by the M/V Megan. They had originally planned to spend ten days on the I.S.S., but were granted bonus days in space due to unfavorable weather in their Atlantic landing zone.

López-Alegría was a N.A.S.A. astronaut & is a veteran of four previous spaceflights (STS-73, STS-92, STS-113, & Soyuz TMA-9 & Expedition 14); Connor, Stibbe, & Pathy are rookies. Stibbe is the second Israeli in space, after Israel Space Agency astronaut Ilan Ramon, who died in the Columbia disaster.

Ax-1 was the third flight of the Endeavour.

Axiom Space plans to continue flying space tourists to the I.S.S., with Ax-2 planned for May 2023. Axiom also plans to launch several new modules to the I.S.S., forming the Axiom Orbital Segment, a private facility for commercial activities, including research, manufacturing, & entertainment. When the I.S.S. is decommissioned & deorbited circa 2031, the Axiom Orbital Segment would detach & become the standalone Axiom Station.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Ax-1 & the Endeavour
Don Byron, "Powerhouse" from Bug Music (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch & Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch, Crew-1 Relocation, & Crew-1 Splashdown
2021
Crew-2 Launch & Crew-2 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch & Crew-3 Splashdown
2022
Crew-4 Launch & Crew-4 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch

Godspeed & welcome back to the good Earth, Ax-1!