How to watch Ax-3, Axiom’s first all-European commercial astronaut mission

Axiom Space is less than a day away from initiating Axiom Mission 3. Ax-3 is the commercial space company’s first all-European astronaut mission. Here’s what you need to know to follow along from anywhere in the universe.

Axiom Mission 3 details

• Ax-3 liftoff: No earlier than Thursday, January 18, 2024, at 4:49 p.m. ET.
• Objective: Demonstrate international commercial access to the International Space Station and conduct microgravity research
• Crew: Michael López-Alegría (Ax-3 Commander), Walter Villadei (Ax-3 Pilot), Alper Gezeravcı (Ax-3 Mission Specialist), and Marcus Wandt (Ax-3 Mission Specialist)
• Flight hardware: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and SpaceX Dragon capsule

How to watch Ax-3

Axiom Mission 3 will liftoff from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Both NASA and Axiom will broadcast Ax-3 online.

NASA’s official stream:

Axiom, which has a mission trailer, will have its own video stream that will begin prior to liftoff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr8gN1DFj4w

Ax-3 will be the third commercial space mission for Axiom. Ax-1 was conducted from April 8, 2022, to April 25, 2022. Ax-2 was completed a year later from May 21, 2023 to May 31, 2023. Ax-3 will represent Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Sweden.

SpaceX delay

SpaceX, which operates the trip to and from Low Earth orbit, pushed back the liftoff target “to complete data analysis of the parachute system energy modulator—the straps that connect the Dragon spacecraft’s parachute bag to the parachute door,” according to NASA.

SpaceX proactively wanted to inspect the energy modulators on the Ax-3 parachutes and the team removed the parachute door this past week, inspected the energy modulators, correct alignment of the modulators, and then re-installed the doors.

NASA

Pending any additional delays, Axiom Mission 3 will kick off on Thursday.

Featured image courtesy of SpaceX