SpaceX Ax-3 Astronauts Don Land for ISS, Double Di Nationalities Onboard ππ
β¬οΈ Pidgin β¬οΈ β¬οΈ Black American Slang β¬οΈ English
SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom, wey carry four astronauts for di private Ax-3 mission, don land for International Space Station (ISS) early Saturday. Dem go stay for two weeks for dis orbiting lab. π°οΈ
Ax-3 take off on top SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Thursday (Jan. 18), begin like 36-hour chase wey end today (Jan. 20) at 5:42 a.m. EST (1042 GMT). Di Freedom dock for di forward port on di station’s Harmony module as dem dey fly 262 miles above di South Pacific. Ax-3 na SpaceX third private human spaceflight for Axiom Space company, wey don carry nine people go station since 2022. π
Andreas Morgensen, wey be commander for di station’s seven-person Expedition 70 crew and represent European Space Agency, talk say, “This na very exciting time for human spaceflight with di third private mission. We don double di number of nationalities for space station from four to eight, wey be great show for international collaboration.” π€
Ax-3 carry Axiom’s first all-European crew, including di first astronaut from Turkey, Alper GezeravcΔ±. E dey with Ax-3 mission commander and former NASA astronaut Michael “L.A.” LΓ³pez-AlegrΓa (wey get U.S. and Spanish citizenship), pilot Walter Villadei from Italy, and Marcus Wandt from Sweden for European Space Agency. πͺπΊ
Dem join international crew for ISS, wey get Morgensen from Denmark, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara from U.S., Satoshi Furukawa from Japan, and Russian cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub. Di hatches between ISS and Freedom capsule open at 7:13 a.m. EST (1213 GMT), make di Ax-3 crew enter di orbiting lab. πΈ
Lopez-Alegria, wey be former ISS commander wey fly for three NASA shuttle flights, give him three Ax-3 crewmates Universal Astronaut Pins to mark their space journey. Dis flight na first for GezeravcΔ± and Wandt, but Villadei don fly before for Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Unity, though na him first time to orbit.
Di Ax-3 crewmembers go live and work with di station current residents, do experiments for plenty research investigations. Di science include things like human spaceflight and living for microgravity environments, and dis latest mission dey continue that trend. π§ͺ
GezeravcΔ± thank everyone for their effort and contributions for their safe travel. “To make am to ISS, we dey happy as Turkey to take dis step for di first time for our history.”
Di research for Ax-3 include robotics experiments with high-strength alloys for space construction, Vokalkord experiment from Turkey wey use artificial intelligence to diagnose diseases from cough or speech, and many other investigations into physics, biology, and microgravity. π€π¬
Di Ax-3 crew go spend up to 14 days for di orbital laboratory, after which di astronauts and their SpaceX capsule go leave ISS and come back to Earth with parachute-assisted splashdown for Florida coast. π
Lopez-Alegria tell di ISS crew, “I want thank all of una again for welcoming us. We know say e no easy to get guests for your house and we promise not to pour red wine for your white carpet.”
Editor’s note: Dis story update on Jan. 20 to include di successful docking and welcome ceremony of di four Ax-3 astronauts to di International Space Station.
NOW IN BLACK AMERICAN SLANG
ππ SpaceX Ax-3 Crew Hits Up ISS, Mixing Up the Nationality Game Big Time
So, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Freedom just rolled up to the International Space Station (ISS) early Saturday, with the Ax-3 squad ready to kick it for two weeks in space. π°οΈ
They blasted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 on Thursday (Jan. 18), and after about 36 hours of cruising in orbit, they made their grand entrance today (Jan. 20) at 5:42 a.m. EST (1042 GMT). Docking at the Harmony module’s forward port, they were chilling 262 miles above the South Pacific. This Ax-3 mission is like SpaceX’s third VIP trip to space for Axiom Space, already having sent a cool nine folks to the station since 2022. π
Andreas Morgensen, who’s running the show for the station’s seven-person Expedition 70 crew and repping the European Space Agency, was all about it, saying, “We’re living in a wild time for space travel with this third private mission. We’ve gone and doubled the nationalities up here from four to eight, showing off what happens when the world teams up.” π€
Ax-3’s crew is Axiom’s first all-European team, bringing in Turkey’s first astronaut, Alper GezeravcΔ±. He’s up there with mission boss and former NASA astronaut Michael “L.A.” LΓ³pez-AlegrΓa (rocking U.S. and Spanish roots), Italy’s Walter Villadei, and Sweden’s Marcus Wandt from the European Space Agency. πͺπΊ
They’re linking up with a global crew on the ISS, including Denmark’s Morgensen, NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara from the U.S., Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa, and Russian cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub. The crew opened up the hatch between ISS and Freedom at 7:13 a.m. EST (1213 GMT), and the Ax-3 folks floated right into their new home in orbit. πΈ
Lopez-Alegria, who’s been the boss of ISS before and took three rides with NASA’s shuttle, hooked up his Ax-3 peeps with Universal Astronaut Pins, marking their space journey. For GezeravcΔ± and Wandt, it’s their first rodeo, but Villadei’s been up in Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Unity, though it’s his first time orbiting.
While they’re up there, the Ax-3 crew will be hanging with the station’s residents, doing all kinds of experiments and research. They’re diving into how to live and work in microgravity, just like Axiom’s past missions. π§ͺ
GezeravcΔ± gave a shoutout to everyone who helped them get to this point. “Getting to the ISS is a milestone for Turkey, and we’re hyped to be making history.”
Their research game includes robotics with super strong alloys for building in space, a dope Turkish experiment called Vokalkord using AI to check diseases from coughs or speech, and a bunch of other studies in physics, biology, and life without gravity. π€π¬
They’re planning to chill at the orbital lab for up to 14 days. After that, the Ax-3 astronauts and their SpaceX ride will bounce from ISS and head back to Earth, landing off Florida’s coast with some parachutes helping them out. π
Lopez-Alegria thanked the ISS family, “We’re grateful for the love. It’s not easy having guests, and we’ll make sure not to mess up your spot.”
Editor’s note: We updated this piece on Jan. 20 to include the smooth docking and welcome bash for the four Ax-3 astronauts at the International Space Station.
NOW IN ENGLISH
π SpaceX Ax-3 Astronauts Arrive at ISS, Doubling Nationalities Onboard π
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Freedom, carrying four astronauts on the private Ax-3 mission, successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) early Saturday, set for a two-week stint in the orbiting laboratory. π°οΈ
Launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Thursday (Jan. 18), Ax-3 embarked on a roughly 36-hour orbital chase, culminating today (Jan. 20) at 5:42 a.m. EST (1042 GMT). Freedom docked at the station’s Harmony module’s forward port, while orbiting 262 miles above the South Pacific. Ax-3 marks SpaceX’s third private human spaceflight for Axiom Space, having sent nine people to the station since 2022. π
Andreas Morgensen, commander of the station’s seven-person Expedition 70 crew and a representative of the European Space Agency, noted, “This is an incredibly exciting time for human spaceflight with the third private mission. We have doubled the number of nationalities on the space station from four to eight, showcasing the power of international collaboration.” π€
Ax-3’s team is Axiom’s first all-European crew, featuring the first astronaut from Turkey, Alper GezeravcΔ±. He joins mission commander and former NASA astronaut Michael “L.A.” LΓ³pez-AlegrΓa (with dual U.S. and Spanish citizenship), Italian pilot Walter Villadei, and Marcus Wandt of the European Space Agency from Sweden. πͺπΊ
They join a truly international crew on the ISS, including Morgensen from Denmark, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara of the U.S., Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa, and Russian cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub. The hatches between the ISS and the Freedom capsule opened at 7:13 a.m. EST (1213 GMT), allowing the Ax-3 team to enter the orbiting lab. πΈ
Lopez-Alegria, a former ISS commander who flew on three NASA shuttle missions, presented his three Ax-3 crewmates with Universal Astronaut Pins, commemorating their spaceflight achievement. For GezeravcΔ± and Wandt, this mission is their first, while Villadei has previously flown on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Unity, marking his first orbit trip.
The Ax-3 crew members will live and work alongside the station’s current inhabitants, conducting experiments for various research investigations. The focus includes studies on human spaceflight and adapting to microgravity environments, continuing the themes of Axiom’s previous missions. π§ͺ
GezeravcΔ± expressed gratitude for everyone’s effort and contributions to their safe journey. “Making it to the ISS is a historic step for Turkey, and we’re thrilled to be part of it.”
The Ax-3 mission’s research involves robotics experiments with high-strength alloys for in-space construction, the Turkish Vokalkord experiment using AI to diagnose diseases from coughs or speech, and numerous other studies in physics, biology, and microgravity. π€π¬
Scheduled to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbital laboratory, the Ax-3 crew and their SpaceX capsule will eventually depart the ISS, returning to Earth with a parachute-assisted splashdown off Florida’s coast. π
Lopez-Alegria thanked the ISS crew, saying, “We appreciate the warm welcome. Having guests can be challenging, and we promise to be mindful not to spill any red wine on your white carpet.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated on Jan. 20 to include details of the successful docking and welcome ceremony of the four Ax-3 astronauts at the International Space Station.
