Axiom Space's private astronauts leave the Space Station with more than 550 pounds of valuable research equipment

According to NASA, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is anticipated to return with over 550 pounds of payload, including priceless NASA gear and data from more than 30 experiments carried out during the voyage.

The successful departure of the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) private astronaut return trip, which brought scientific discoveries home to enhance space exploration and study in microgravity, marked a key milestone for NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX's joint efforts.

On February 7, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Ax-3 crew members departed the International Space Station (ISS) and is expected to land on February 9 off the coast of Florida. During the two-week mission, scientific, education, research, and commercial activities were conducted in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

On January 18, the Ax-3 crew, which included Commander Michael López-Alegría, Italian Pilot Walter Villadei, Turkish Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı, and Swedish ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt, departed from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to return with over 550 pounds of cargo, which includes vital NASA gear and data from over 30 experiments carried out during the trip, according to the NASA website.

International cooperation in space exploration was fostered when the Axiom Space crew joined the Expedition 70 crew while they were stationed on the International Space Station (ISS). This crew included NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA astronaut Furukawa Satoshi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub.

In order to assist people who live on and off Earth, the Expedition 70 crew is exploring a range of microgravity phenomena. Operations began on September 27, 2023. Over their extended stay in Earth's orbit, they will also investigate topics including cancer therapies, heart health, space manufacturing processes, and more.

According to NASA, the Ax-3 mission is a component of the space agency's plan to establish a commercial market in Low Earth Orbit, bringing in a new era of space exploration and enabling more people and organizations to take part in different projects. Through this partnership, the possibilities for human spaceflight are expanded, resulting in more access to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station for habitation, science, and commercial endeavors.