Ax-3 Mission
SFS2 on board
SFS2 tested on board the ISS by astronaut Walter Villadei.
Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) is the third mission to the International Space Station (ISS) organized by Axiom Space, leading provider of human spaceflight services.
Thanks to the collaboration with the Italian Air Force, SFS2 is on board the ISS. The suit has successfully passed the qualification process for space flight according to the most stringent international standards.
Ax-3 is the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the ISS. Italy takes part with the Italian Air Force astronaut Walter Villadei as Mission pilot.
The crew includes also the Ax-3 Commander Michael López-Alegría dual-citizen of the U.S. and Spain; the Mission specialists Alper Gezeravci representing Türkiye and ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt representing Sweden.
SFS2 is equipped with safety bumpers in the most exposed physical parts.
SFS2 detects astronaut medical data.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Ax-3 crew aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the ISS from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch took place on January 18, 2024
Once docked, the Ax-3 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days on board implementing a full mission comprised of microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities.
The Italian scientific portfolio of the mission, coordinated by Italian Air Force for the Ministry of Defence and by Italian Space Agency (ASI) for the scientific community, includes the new SFS2 and 29 other experiments. SFS2 is tested in its innovative functions aimed at data monitoring and increased comfort, to creat solution for life in space.
For more information about the Ax-3 Mission visit the Axiom Space website.
Ax-3 Mission Patch.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule. (Image Credits: NASA)
