Updated February 7th, 2024 at 16:30 IST
The crew of Axiom Space’s Ax-3 mission. | Image:X/@CommanderMLA
Axiom Space’s four astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth on February 7 after spending over two weeks aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The astronauts launched to the orbital lab on January 19 from Florida as part of the Axiom-3 mission, the third crewed endeavour of Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX.
According to NASA, the Ax-3 crew will undock from the space station at 7:35 pm IST and splashdown a few hours later off the coast of Florida. The team’s departure was delayed by a couple of days due to bad weather conditions at the splashdown zone.
Where to watch the undocking?
You can watch SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft undock from the ISS at 7:35 pm IST on NASA’s official YouTube channel, NASA TV, its website and other social media handles.
The coverage of the departure will begin two hours prior to the undocking, NASA said.
About the Ax-3 mission
Astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Alper Gezeravcı, and Marcus Wandt were part of what Axiom Space called the first-ever all-European mission to the ISS. It also included the first astronaut from Türkiye to visit space.
During their stay aboard the ISS, the team conducted over 30 science experiments in the fields of physics and medicine. Axiom Space has so far launched three crewed missions with ‘civilians’ on April 8, 2022, May 21, 2023 and on January 19, 2024.
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
