Explorer

Ax-1 Crew Reaches ISS, Welcomed By Expedition 67 Members

The Expedition 67 crew members welcomed the Axiom Mission 1 astronauts, who will stay aboard the orbital laboratory for eight days. 

New Delhi: Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Larry Connor, Eytan Stibbe, and Mark Pathy have reached the International Space Station (ISS). 

The Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, which carried the Ax-1 crew to the space station, docked into the Harmony module of the orbital laboratory on Saturday, April 9, at 8:29 am EDT (5:59 pm IST). While docking, the astronauts were flying about 260 miles above the central Atlantic Ocean. 

Axiom Mission 1 is the first mission with an entirely private crew to arrive at the space station. It is also the first crewed mission of Houston-based aerospace firm Axiom Space.

ALSO READ | Ax-1: All About The First All-Private Astronaut Mission To The Space Station

Docking was delayed by approximately 45 minutes due to some technical glitches in the camera of the docking port. 

After docking, NASA astronaut and space station commander Thomas Marshburn pressurised the space between the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the orbital outpost, and performed a leak check before opening the hatches. 

Crew Dragon's hatch opening was completed at 10:13 am EDT (7:43 pm IST).

The Expedition 67 crew members, including NASA astronauts Marshburn, Raja Chari, and Kayla Barron, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Sergey Korsakov, and Denis Matveev, welcomed the Axiom Mission 1 astronauts, who will stay aboard the orbital laboratory for eight days. 

With the Ax-1 crew joining the Expedition 67 crew members, the population on the space station is now 11. 

During the welcome ceremony on the space station, Ax-1 Commander López-Alegría pinned his crewmates with a Association of Space Explorers (ASE) pin, signifying their newly earned status as astronauts, Axiom Space said in a mission update.  

The four Ax-1 astronauts aim to distinguish themselves as much as possible from space tourists by performing research activities and philanthropic projects on the space station.

ALSO READ | Ax-1: A Former NASA Astronaut & 3 Philanthropists Make History With First All-Private Mission To ISS

The astronauts will conduct approximately 25 experiments focused on human research, life and physical sciences, technology demonstrations, and Earth observations which will expand microgravity research to new sectors.

By conducting these experiments, the astronauts will collect data which could improve the understanding of human physiology on Earth and in orbit. Also, the findings will establish the utility of novel technologies that could be used for future human spaceflight activities.

View More
Advertisement

IPL Auction 2025

Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Virat Kohli
₹21 CR
Josh Hazlewood
₹12.50 CR
Phil Salt
₹11.50 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rishabh Pant
₹27 CR
Nicholas Pooran
₹21 CR
Ravi Bishnoi
₹11 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Jasprit Bumrah
₹18 CR
Suryakumar Yadav
₹16.35 CR
Hardik Pandya
₹16.35 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Heinrich Klaasen
₹23 CR
Pat Cummins
₹18 CR
Abhishek Sharma
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad
₹18 CR
Ravindra Jadeja
₹18 CR
Matheesha Pathirana
₹13 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Shreyas Iyer
₹26.75 CR
Arshdeep Singh
₹18 CR
Yuzvendra Chahal
₹18 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Sanju Samson
₹18 CR
Yashaswi Jaiswal
₹18 CR
Riyan Parag
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Venkatesh Iyer
₹23.75 CR
Rinku Singh
₹13 CR
Varun Chakaravarthy
₹12 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rashid Khan
₹18 CR
Shubman Gill
₹16.50 CR
Jos Buttler
₹15.75 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Axar Patel
₹16.50 CR
KL Rahul
₹14 CR
Kuldeep Yadav
₹13.25 CR
View all
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

As Race For Maharashtra CM Post Heats Up, Eknath Shinde Upset Over BJP's 'Claim' For Top Post: Sources
As Race For Maharashtra CM Post Heats Up, Eknath Shinde Upset Over BJP's 'Claim' For Top Post: Sources
Schools In Delhi-NCR To Go In Hybrid Mode After Supreme Court Directive On Air Pollution
Schools In Delhi-NCR To Go In Hybrid Mode After Supreme Court Directive On Air Pollution
PAN 2.0 Announced: Do You Need To Change PAN Number? Will It Be Free? All Your FAQs Answered
PAN 2.0 Announced: Do You Need To Change PAN Number? Will It Be Free? All Your FAQs Answered
Rashmi Shukla Reappointed As Maharashtra DGP After Mahayuti Win
Rashmi Shukla Reappointed As Maharashtra DGP After Mahayuti Win
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

FIR Filed Against Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman, Statement Released Amidst ControversyFIR Filed Against Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman and Local MLA's Son in Controversial CaseSambhal Violence Sparks Political Firestorm, Congress MP Imran Masood's Strong Remarks | ABP NewsBreaking News: SP Leader Ram Gopal Yadav Reacts to Sambhal Violence | ABP News

Photo Gallery

Embed widget