First All-European Commercial Astronaut Crew Begins Research at Space Station

The mission arranged by Axiom Space will research cancer cures, remote-controlled robots, space horticulture, microgravity, and more.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 01:43 PM ET

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The Ax-3 mission crew (from left, Michael Lopez-Alegría, Alper Gezeravcı, Marcus Wandt, and Walter Villadei) arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday and began a series of experiments. [Courtesy: Axiom Space]

Key Takeaways:

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew, the first all-European commercial astronaut mission, is conducting a two-week research expedition aboard the International Space Station.
The multinational team is performing over 30 experiments covering diverse fields such as microgravity's effects, cancer research, space botany, and remote robotics.
Ax-3 represents the third private astronaut mission to the ISS, underscoring Axiom Space's growing involvement in human spaceflight, including future projects like Artemis III spacesuits.

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A team of astronauts has arrived at the International Space Station to study microgravity, space botany, remote-controlled robots, and even methods to prevent cancer.

The multinational crew of Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3)—the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the space station—docked with the orbital laboratory Saturday morning and will spend two weeks conducting more than 30 experiments for NASA and its countries’ respective space agencies.