Listen to the Ax-3 Mission Overview Press Conference

Axiom Space held a virtual press conference with leaders from NASA and SpaceX, as well as leaders from the Italian Air Force, Turkish Space Agency (TUA), and European Space Agency (ESA) to provide a high-level review of mission operations and objectives to officially kick off major media efforts leading up to Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).

During the press conference, Axiom Space President Matt Ondler announced that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with launch the Ax-3 crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than January 9, 2024, from Florida.

Ax-3 will be the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to launch to the ISS – redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and helping chart a course toward Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station.

The Ax-3 crewmembers are Commander Michael López-Alegría of the U.S. and Spain, Pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, and Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı of Türkiye and Marcus Wandt of Sweden and ESA.

Participants included:

• Matt Ondler, President, Axiom Space
• Michael López-Alegría, Chief Astronaut and Ax-3 Commander, Axiom Space
• Angela Hart, Manager, Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, NASA
• Joel Montalbano, Manager, International Space Station Program, NASA
• Sarah Walker, Director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
• Col. Valerio Anastasi, Chief of Space Programs and Capabilities Office, Italian Air Force
• Tufan KAYACI, Head of Launch System Department, Turkish Space Agency (TUA)
• Frank De Winne, Head of the European Astronaut Centre, European Space Agency (ESA)

Follow along for mission updates with #Ax3 on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, and on our website.

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