Exciting Announcement: NASA Joins Next Private Astronaut Mission!

Roxana Bardan

Dec 08, 2023

Exciting News! NASA specialists will join a virtual press conference hosted by Axiom Space at 10 a.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 13, to discuss the launch of Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), the 3rd personal astronaut mission to the International Space Station.

The Ax-3 launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft is targeted no earlier than January 2024 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

During the mission, which includes about 14 days aboard the spaceport station, the four-person multi-national team will complete more than 30 research experiments designed for microgravity in collaboration with companies around the world.

Rundown individuals are:

• Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA
• Angela Hart, manager, Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, NASA
• Matt Ondler, president, Axiom Space
• Michael López-Alegría, chief astronaut and Ax-3 leader, Axiom Space
• Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
• Col. Valerio Anastasi, chief of space programs and capabilities office, Italian Air Force
• Yusuf Kıraç, president, TUA (Turkish Space Agency)
• Frank De Winne, head of the European astronaut center, ESA (European Space Agency)

Media should sign up for the mission summary press conference by 1 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 12, at:

In addition to previous NASA astronaut López-Alegría commanding the personal mission, Walter Villadei of Italy will act as pilot. The two mission specialists are Alper Gezeravci of Turkey and ESA (European Space Agency) task astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden.

NASA’s mission is to enable a robust, commercial market in low Earth orbit where the agency is one of many customers for private industry. The agency recently launched its third request for info with proposed requirements for commercial space station services and awarded contracts to advance additional capabilities.

Find out how NASA is promoting a robust commercial low Earth orbit economy at:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space/

-end-

Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Rebecca Turkington
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
rebecca.turkington@nasa.gov

Alexis DeJarnette
Alexis@axiomspace.com

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