The American "all-private" aerospace team has returned to Earth on the Dragon spacecraft

The American “all-private” space team has returned to Earth on the Dragon spacecraft

The American “all-private” space team has returned to Earth on the Dragon spacecraft. The Endeavor manned Dragon spacecraft was launched in April. It was launched on the 8th and successfully docked with the International Space Station on April 9th. The duration of this mission reaches 17 days. The American "all-private" aerospace team has returned to Earth on the Dragon spacecraft. The American "all-private" aerospace team has returned to Earth on the Dragon spacecraft 1

At 9:10 on April 25, Beijing time (9:10 p.m. Eastern Time), SpaceX's "Dragon Endeavor" manned The spacecraft and the "Harmony" module of the International Space Station were unlocked, completing Axiom Mission 1, the first all-private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory.

The hatch between the "Dragon Endeavor" manned spacecraft and the International Space Station closed at 7:26 pm ET in preparation for decoupling and returning to Earth. The Axiom 1 crew was delayed for many days due to weather problems on the ground. They stayed in space for a total of 15 days (specifically 15 days, 12 hours and 41 minutes), 5 days longer than originally planned.

According to the official plan, they will have a journey of about 17 hours after separation from the International Space Station, and are expected to arrive in Florida, USA, at 1:00 a.m. on April 26, Beijing time. Landed in state waters.

It is understood that at 11:17 on April 8, Eastern Time, the "Dragon" spacecraft was carried by the "Falcon 9" rocket and launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four civilian astronauts. crew to the International Space Station. The spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on the 9th Eastern Time. The four crew members are retired American astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegría, technology entrepreneur Larry Connor, Canadian investor Mark Bouti and Israeli businessman Etan Stibey.

"(This trip) was longer and more exciting than we imagined. I really appreciate your professionalism and it ends here," Michael said.

The mission is hosted by Houston Axiom Space, which is led by former NASA astronaut Lopez-Alegria (NASA), who is now the Axiom Business Development Corporation Vice President. The other three passengers each paid US$55 million (approximately 359 million yuan) for their tickets.

It is worth mentioning that this mission is the first fully commercially operated manned mission to the International Space Station and one of the first dedicated orbital private crew missions. After this first flight, Axiom plans to provide crewed flights to the International Space Station twice a year, consistent with flight opportunities provided by NASA.

If all goes according to plan, Ax-1 will be just the beginning of Axiom Space. The company has booked several additional missions for the orbiting laboratory, all of which will be flown by SpaceX.

The next one, Ax-2, is scheduled to launch later this year and will be commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has spent more time in space than any other American There are many. Like López-Alegría, she now works for Axiom as the company’s director of human spaceflight.

But Axiom has bigger plans. Starting in late 2024, the company intends to launch a series of modules to the International Space Station. These connected modules will eventually separate and fly freely, becoming the first privately operated space station in Earth orbit. Axiom believes demand for this commercial outpost will be high and could eventually kick-start an off-Earth manufacturing economy. "On the International Space Station, a company can only conduct experiments; even if the experiments are successful, the company has no place to mass-produce the product," Axiom Space chief technology officer Matt Ondler told Space.com late last year. "Commercial space stations like Axiom will provide this opportunity, so I believe we will see all kinds of ideas and products that we can't imagine today." The U.S. "all-private" space team has returned to Earth on the Dragon spacecraft 2

< p> SpaceX’s Endeavor Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida at 01:06 on April 26, Beijing time, ending the 17-day Ax-1 mission of the first commercial astronaut to the International Space Station. During the previous two splashdowns of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, the four main parachutes opened out of sync, with one parachute opening later than the other three.

NASA and SpaceX have downplayed concerns about delayed parachute opening, saying it is likely a normal aerodynamic phenomenon and does not pose a risk to the spacecraft or those inside.

When the Dragon spacecraft landed this time, all four parachutes opened at the same time.

The Endeavor Crew Dragon spacecraft was launched on April 8 and successfully docked with the International Space Station on April 9. Axiom Space Mission 1 (Ax-1) is the first commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station organized by Houston-based Axiom. The mission was originally planned to last 10 days, including 8 days on the International Space Station and one day for ascent and docking. , one day for undocking and return.

However, continued bad weather as the Dragon spacecraft returned to the splashdown zone kept the Dragon spacecraft in orbit for an extra week, bringing the mission duration to 17 days.

The four astronauts on the Ax-1 mission include three paying tourists and a former NASA astronaut who takes care of them. Axiom Space did not disclose the fees paid by the three tourists, but there are reports that they each People donated about $55 million. Although the Ax-1 mission is extended, the mission's agreement includes the possibility of such delays, so Axiom Space will not charge additional fees for the additional time on the space station.

If all goes according to plan, the Ax-1 mission will be just the beginning of Axiom Space’s commercial missions to the International Space Station. The company has booked several additional missions for the orbiting laboratory, all of which will be flown by SpaceX. The Ax-2 mission is scheduled to launch later this year and will be commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson.

Starting in late 2024, Axiom Space plans to launch a series of modules to the International Space Station. The connected modules will eventually separate and fly freely, becoming the first privately operated space station in Earth orbit. The American "all-private" aerospace team has returned to Earth on the Dragon spacecraft 3

The manned Dragon spacecraft "Endeavour" of the "Axiom 1" mission was launched into orbit on April 8. The four people above stayed in orbit for a total of 17 days.

This space flight was organized by the American private space company Axiom Space. The four space tourists were former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegría. -Alegría), American real estate tycoon Larry Connor, Canadian investor Mark Pathy and Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe.

The mission was originally planned to be 10 days, but due to unsatisfactory weather at the landing site, the spacecraft docked at the space station for an extra 7 days. Although it stayed in space for an extra week, it looked like Both the passengers and the spacecraft were put to the test. The spacecraft separated from the International Space Station at around 9 a.m. on April 25, Beijing time, and landed in the sea off Florida in the early morning of April 26. At present, the spacecraft has been successfully salvaged and all four people have exited the cabin.

According to CNN, four space passengers spent about 15 days on the International Space Station. They strictly follow a schedule and perform approximately 14 hours of activities every day, including conducting scientific research designed by hospitals, universities, technology companies, etc.

The report also stated that it is still unclear how much the space trip will cost. Axiom Space previously disclosed that a 10-day trip to the International Space Station costs $55 million per seat, but the company declined to comment on the financial terms of this particular mission, other than to indicate the price at a 2021 press conference. for "tens of millions" of dollars.

The Axiom 1 mission is a purely commercial space tour. After this success, Axiom Space Company is negotiating with NASA about the launch time of the next Axiom 2. The Axiom 2 mission is expected to be carried out this year. In the long term, Axiom Space's goal is to build its own space station module, dock with the International Space Station, and undertake long-term space tourism missions.

SpaceX’s next manned launch is scheduled for April 27 and will be NASA’s Crew-4 mission. SpaceX has planned 6 manned launch missions this year, including 2 missions from NASA, 2 missions from Axiom Corporation, and two Earth orbit manned tourism missions called "Polaris Dawn".