Ax-3 Commercial Astronauts Splash Down after 18 Days Aboard ISS

The mission was the first commercial spaceflight of government and European Space Agency-sponsored national astronauts.

Friday, February 09, 2024 at 02:01 PM ET

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A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Ax-3 crew splashes down off the coast of Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday. [Courtesy: Axiom Space]

Key Takeaways:

Axiom Space's four-member Ax-3 private astronaut crew safely returned to Earth off the Florida coast after an 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
This mission marked Axiom Space's third crewed flight to the ISS and the first commercial spaceflight with government and European Space Agency-sponsored national astronauts.
During their time on the ISS, the crew conducted over 30 experiments and 50 educational engagements, contributing to Axiom Space's development of its own commercial space station targeted for 2026.

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Axiom Space’s crew of four private astronauts returned to Earth on Friday, safely splashing down off the coast of Florida after an 18-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS).

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew initially launched aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 18. On Wednesday, the spacecraft undocked from the ISS and then splashed down off the coast of Daytona Beach, Florida, around 8:30 a.m. EST Friday.