NASA and its international partners approved the crew for Axiom Space’s third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, launching from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than January 2024.

Axiom Space’s chief astronaut and former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría will command the private mission. Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are Alper Gezeravci of Turkey and ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden.

Private astronaut missions to the space station help pave the way toward commercial space stations as part of NASA’s efforts to develop a thriving low Earth orbit ecosystem and marketplace and enable more nations, more people, and more opportunities in space than ever before.

“I am proud to see NASA and industry’s continued dedication toward enabling private astronaut missions,” said Angela Hart, manager, NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “These commercial efforts continue to expand opportunity and access to microgravity research and discovery. Each of these missions is a next step in building our shared future in low Earth orbit.”

Axiom Mission 3, or Ax-3, crew will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket inside a Dragon spacecraft and will travel to the space station. Once docked, the private astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory implementing a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities. The mission will send the first Turkish astronaut to space and will be the first commercial mission for an ESA-sponsored astronaut.

“It is an honor to command another private astronaut mission with Axiom Space and lead a dynamic crew of professional operators representing several nations across one region of the world,” said López-Alegría. “This crew is shifting the paradigm of how governments and space agencies access and reap the benefits of microgravity… I look forward to working with this team and with all those who will support our mission on the ground, on orbit, and around the world.”

NASA and Axiom Space signed an order for the fourth private astronaut mission targeted to launch no earlier than August 2024. The first private astronaut mission to the station was Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), also commanded by López-Alegría and launched in April 2022, with four private astronauts who spent 17 days in orbit working science and outreach engagements. A year later, the second private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), lifted off in May 2023 for a nine-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory conducting unique scientific and outreach activities.

Credit: NASA

Investigations launching on the mission:

An investigation from the National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF) will use 3D brain models derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of patients with Parkinson’s disease and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) to study the mechanisms behind these and other neurodegenerative diseases. These models contain many different types of cells present in the human brain. In space,micro gravity’s effects on the 3D cellular model scan alter the onset and progression of disease markers.Findings could help lead to new therapeutics for treating neurodegenerative diseases on Earth.

Several investigations will monitor astronaut health by comparing physiological and cognitive measures before, during, and after flight. The Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) will continue research performed during Ax-1 and Ax-2 to measure physiological, cognitive, and emotional impacts of isolation and confinement in stressful environments like spaceflight. Another investigation from the Micro gravity Associated Genetics Research Group (MESSAGE) will use the CRISPR gene editing system to identify immune system responses that could, in the future, indicate improved immune function for astronauts during long-duration space missions. Other investigations will monitor astronauts’ sleep, bone health, and cardiovascular health.

A multipart plant science investigation from Türkiye will observe micro gravity’s effects on two varieties of plants: Arabidopsis thaliana (a common plant in the mustard family) and Schrenkiella parvula (a close relative of A. thaliana that is known for its ability to grow in extreme environments and tolerate salt-rich environments). CRISPR gene editing technology will be used to target three specific genes known to play a vital role in the stress response of the A. thaliana plant. Results will help scientists evaluate whether CRISPR can be used as an effective gene editing strategy in plants in micro gravity. The researchers will also analyze the salt stress tolerances of both plant species in micro gravity. Data will be compared with ground-based experiments to see if micro gravity plays a role in how each plant variety deals with salt stresses.

Research

AstRNAuts is a project from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) aiming to characterize distinctive molecular signatures of circulating biomarkers that are altered upon exposure to the space environment. These markers will be monitored before and after the Ax-3 mission. The project is of great scientific interest to understand how space missions affect the human body in space, as these biomarkers could be used to monitor astronauts’ health status and to develop point-of-care devices for diagnosis and prognosis of diseases.

This project from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) builds on previous work in microgravity to investigate the aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) proteins, which are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). Researching proteins in microgravity provides an opportunity to better understand the mechanisms of Aβ protein aggregation and the formation of amyloid plaques, which could lead to insights into how to prevent or reverse formation in Alzheimer's patients. The research could also help identify potential risks for neurodegeneration for long-duration spaceflight, as microgravity can influence the normal folding and unfolding of proteins.

In collaboration with the Italian Air Force (ItAF) and Italian Space Agency (ASI), the Italian company REA will conduct an in-orbit test of the Electrical Muscle Simulation (EMSi) suit – an intra-vehicular suit that can monitor and measure astronaut body movement. The suit is made of a material with antibacterial properties and contains sensors to collect data on muscle activity from the arms, legs, and trunk during daily activities. It also incorporates compression properties to help correct the shifts in body fluid distribution seen in microgravity. This project will test the suit during Ax-3 and could be used during future space missions to improve astronaut health and well-being.

Endothelial cells are the single layer of cells that line the endothelium — the tissue that lines our blood vessels and is important for regulating blood pressure, blood flow, clotting, inflammation and structure of organs. The reactivity of the endothelium in blood vessels can tell us about the vascular health of an individual and is the basis of a non-invasive technique called flow-mediated dilation. This Endothelial Function project from the Italian Air Force will use flow-mediated dilation to assess the vascular health of astronauts before, during and after spaceflight and the results will be compared to measurements from non-orbital flight personnel. The goal of this project is to help understand how vascular health changes over the course of spaceflight.

Predicting space weather — the changing conditions in the solar system that give rise to events such as electromagnetic fields arising from solar storms — is important for human activities in LEO and beyond. For example, coronal mass ejections (CMEs, or "sunspots") can produce solar energetic particles that can damage the electronics in communications, weather, or GPS satellites. Additionally, the trajectory of large numbers of debris items or other objects in orbit around Earth need calculating to help prevent satellites (including the International Space Station) from damage. In this project from the Italian Air Force, a conjunction analysis (comparing trajectory data on objects outside the ISS with the trajectory of the ISS) and verification of potential space weather alerts will be run using a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) software tool developed by ItAF. The Italian SSA Centre is the leading center for assessing re-entry and fragmentation of space objects for all European countries in the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking support framework, and this technology demonstration will act as an operational test of the SSA tool.

The LIDAL experiment from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) monitors high-energy particles (such as protons and helium, up to iron) on the ISS, which has been functioning onboard the space station since 2020. The project aims to develop the first real-time radiation risk meter on the ISS to keep the crew informed on the risks from cosmic radiation and space weather events.

The Italian company Mental Economy has developed a training protocol for optimal mental performance "for all those who employ high neural energies in highly stressful and competitive contexts" - athletes, racecar drivers, special forces military staff, and others. Mental Economy Training™(MET) is the technique developed to enhance "neural efficiency" (or the ability for high mental performance with low energy expenditure). The goal of this project is to investigate whether specific skills and cognitive abilities (concentration, focused attention, reactivity, stress management, memory, and others) are affected by spaceflight and how MET™ could be implemented for future crew.

NUT is a project from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) aiming to shed light on the physiological adaptation mechanisms that human organisms put in place to cope with environmental conditions in space. In particular, the project aims to study the expression profile of different molecular markers before and after a space mission by discriminating the effects induced by microgravity and cosmic rays from those caused by confinement, isolation, and psychophysical stress.

ORION is a continuation of an ongoing study from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to understand the effects of microgravity on ovarian cells and investigate the mechanisms of hormone production and modulation in space. This research aims to understand fundamental mechanisms of fertility that could translate into findings to improve the success of fertility treatments on Earth, as well as begin research to understand reproduction off Earth.

In partnership with the Italian race car engineering and manufacturing company Dallara, this project aims to measure the shielding capacity and effects of radiation on various advanced aerospace materials for spaceflight. The materials could be used to make components of future space stations, spacecraft, and spacesuits to help shield humans and hardware from space radiation.

Cuisine in space is important not just for nutritional purposes but also as a way to improve astronauts' quality of life. In this project from Italian food company Barilla, ready-made pasta will be heated and taste-tested in microgravity as part of an effort to develop a broader range of tasty foods in space for future space travelers. escription.

The Italian company GVM is creating a telemedicine platform which could be used in future to monitor and manage the health of astronauts before, during, and after human spaceflight missions. This ground-based study will investigate the cardiovascular physiology and health of crew before and after the Ax3 mission and will simulate on-orbit video consultations. The team will collect and monitor data from wearable devices and a health app. The platform is being developed to gain a thorough understanding of astronaut health and enable medical advice and treatment discussions with crew.

PROMETEO II from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) is a continuation of an ongoing study aimed to investigate how exposure to microgravity and space radiation affects cellular response to stress, as well as the neuroprotective effects of nanoparticles based on nanoceria. The results could help develop protective countermeasures for future spaceflight missions and build on efforts to develop therapeutic tools to treat neurodegenerative diseases on Earth.

The Smart Flight Suit 2, developed by Italian company Spacewear, is a suit for spaceflight specially designed to monitor an astronaut's physiological status, which can help keep crew healthy in space. The suit, which will be tested by crew on Ax-3 as a technology demonstration, contains sensors that monitor the heart's beating patterns, body temperature, and movement. The goals from this project are to test the comfort and behavior of the suit's fabrics in space, validate the function of the inbuilt sensors, and validate the utility of the suit within a microgravity environment (e.g. how easy is it to don and use during spaceflight).

Cuisine in space is important not just for nutritional purposes but also as a way to improve astronauts' quality of life. In this project from Italian food company Barilla, crew will document their experience with food in space and complete questionnaires. The goal is to create a “user journey” that will improve the experience of eating food in space.

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a genetic editing scientific technique that can be used to increase, decrease, insert or remove genes from organisms. Exploring its application in plants could be helpful for understanding plants' stress responses in microgravity that could translate to improved agricultural practices on Earth, in space, or or other terrestrial bodies on exploration missions. In this TÜBİTAK UZAY-sponsored project "Extreme Salt Stress and CRISPR Gene Editing Efficiency in Plants Under Microgravity" (Extremophyte CRISPR), researchers will investigate the downregulation via the CRISPR technique of three genes involved in the stress response of Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress, a member of the mustard family). The second aim will evaluate the salt stress tolerance of two plants - one salt-sensitive and one salt-tolerant - that will be germinated and grown in the International Space Station (ISS). This work builds on previous microgravity investigations showing how microgravity affects the growth, movement and genetics of this plant, and could provide valuable insights into plant adaptation to extreme environments and help develop more resilient crops for agriculture.

The UYNA experiment will investigate novel medium entropy and high entropy alloys (MEAs and HEAs, respectively). These types of metal alloys are characterized by their high strength, toughness, and resistance to corrosion and are of interest for potential applications in many industries, including space, aviation, automotive, energy, and medicine. The data from this experiment will help to improve the understanding of the formation and properties of MEA/HEA alloys, which could lead to the development of new and improved materials for a variety of applications.

The microgravity effects on metal particles dynamics in fluids (gMETAL) project from TÜBİTAK UZAY will investigate how the lack of gravity impacts the mixing of solid particles in a gas (two-phase mixture formation) within a contained environment. This mixing is important to understand how metal particles and an oxidizing gas can react in a combustion chamber for efficient combustion and maximum heat release. Applications for this research include the development of zero-carbon energy generation technologies on Earth by burning metal particles in air; or for development of propulsion systems or energy generation on Mars, for example, by reacting metal particles with CO2 collected from the Martian atmosphere.

The MESSAGE (Microgravity Associated Genetics Research Group) project from the TÜBİTAK UZAY portfolio on Ax-3 is interested in assessing microgravity-associated changes in gene expression in human immune system T-cells collected from an astronaut. After flight, the project will use CRISPR gene editing technologies to knock out genes in T-cells found to be upregulated by space travel. The researchers will also aim to produce immune cells with the observed microgravity-associated gene changes by using an acoustic levitation device on the ground to mimic microgravity and explore the cells' changes in proliferation, survival, and stress responses at a cellular level. By better understanding the response of the immune system to the stress of microgravity, the project aims to identify potential space travelers who may be more suited to long duration spaceflight missions due to the resilience of their immune system.

Spaceflight can be a stressful experience for the human body to adapt to changes in microgravity, such as physical demands, nutritional changes, and lack of sleep. The physiological changes can be monitored by profiling the "'omics" of the body — the changes in gene expression (genomics), protein expression (proteomics) or metabolites (metabolomics). A better understanding of these changes in an individual's response to spaceflight can help to develop personalized countermeasure procedures that can optimize the safety and performance of each astronaut. This project aims to gather data to better understand omics changes seen after spaceflight and inform Turkish researchers working on gravitational physiology, aviation, and space medicine on best practices for astronaut care, as part of Türkiye’s rapidly developing national space program.

Propolis extract is a natural product from bees called "bee glue" used for hive construction and maintenance, which has the potential to be characterized as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. This project is a STEM project led by 13–14-year-old students aiming to investigate the effect of propolis extract on bacteria in microgravity. If the experiments prove that propolis extract can exhibit anti-microbial properties in space, it could open avenues for future research on new and natural product-based cleaning agents for future spaceflight applications.

Algae have many properties that make them ideal organisms to support humans during long-duration spaceflight missions. Not only could they serve as a nutritional source included in astronaut menus, algae could also remove carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for spacecraft environmental control systems, help regulate spacecraft temperatures, recycle certain wastes, and even act as a source of fuel. The data generated from this experiment will be used to advance the development of microalgal life support systems for space missions and could impact the design of future carbon dioxide capture, oxygen conversion, wastewater treatment systems, and provide fertilizer options for other agricultural crops grown in space.

The Vokalkord experiment will focus on developing an artificial intelligence system to detect over 70 types of disease by analyzing respiratory, speaking, and cough sounds. This project further develops the software for use on Earth as a tool to identify and diagnose lung cancers, voice and vocal cord diseases, infectious diseases, and even cardiovascular and eye disease.

The ANITA-2 project will sample air from the atmosphere on the ISS and automatically analyze trace contaminants. The system can recognize and quantify 33 trace gases via infrared light and identify unknown substances for additional analyzes on the ground. This project is part of ESA's ongoing technology development efforts for safe spaceflight in low-Earth orbit and beyond.

Exposure to microgravity and immobilization can cause a loss of bone density, which can increase the risk of bone breakage and injury. In microgravity, the changes start to take place very soon after leaving Earth—the extent and timeframe of reversal of these changes upon return from space are under investigation. This ongoing ESA-led project is monitoring whether bone loss halts or continues upon re-entry after human spaceflight missions.

When humans enter microgravity many changes to their body take place, such as to the brain and central nervous system which has to adapt to altered sensory information arriving from the eyes, ears, and muscles. This ongoing ESA-sponsored project aims to identify biomarkers for this adaptation via use of advanced MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) brain imaging methods such as Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and resting state functional MRI (rsfMRI). Identification of neural biomarkers related to sensorimotor adaptation after spaceflight could also lead to improved interventions for humans on Earth, for example after injury or stroke.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a non-invasive imaging technique that can give information of the size and shape of the heart, function of the ventricles, blood flow, and presence of coronary artery disease markers. This ongoing ESA project aims to use CMR to create a database of the cardiovascular system of ESA astronauts, which could help determine short-term changes in shape and function of the cardiovascular system as well as allow comparisons with well-characterized head-down (-6°) tilt bed rest (HDBR) studies, which have been broadly used as physiological analogs of spaceflight for decades.

This project is developing and testing an artificial intelligence (AI) powered free-flying companion, called CIMON, to support crew and help with mission efficiency during long-term missions. CIMON can fly freely through the ISS to support crew as they perform tasks and can respond to verbal commands. This technology development project is also looking at human machine interactions to build robots and other technologies that are intuitive and easy for humans to use and rely on. The work will help design technologies on Earth that will optimize performance for seamless integration into many sectors, such as manufacturing, aviation, and healthcare.

The DNAmAge project will investigate how radiation exposure during spaceflight can affect DNA and its repair. By looking at epigenetic changes, ESA researchers will learn more about the epigenetic clock, which is a combined measure of aging in humans that takes into account a person's birthday and biological age. This project will help us understand the impact of spaceflight on aging mechanisms in the human body and provide broad applicability to the study of aging and its biological bases.

The experiment aims to determine the direct and delayed post-flight effects on neural stem cells after long-term microgravity exposure and investigate if the delayed effects are the result of genetic changes emerging during microgravity or to secreted components in the medium during the flight. Elucidating delayed effects of microgravity may contribute to the development of new protocols for microgravity exploitation in biomedicine.

The ESA-led Surface Avatar project is focused on developing robotic assets for space exploration, building infrastructure on planets and asteroids, and optimizing processes for data connections and communications relays.It is also looking at how well an operator responds to haptic (touch) feedback while controlling the robots. The applications of this project are also useful in scenarios such as arctic exploration, search and rescue in disaster zones, and under-sea maintenance.

Architecture is known to play a crucial role in shaping physical and social environments and have a direct impact on human physical and psychological well-being. This study aims to investigate the effects of architectural settings, as well as its properties on an astronaut’s cognitive performance, stress levels, and stress recovery rate. This activity looks to study the effects between the above-mentioned factors in isolated and confined environments on Earth and in space analog missions, which are similarly observed in the environment of a space station.

This ESA project in collaboration with Roscosmos is investigating complex (dusty) plasmas — ionized gases produced by high temperatures or strong electric fields, which contain other microparticles such as dust. The presence of microparticles influences the interactions between the molecules in the plasma, making them useful to study the fundamental properties of plasmas. However, on Earth, gravity distorts these interactions, so microgravity allows a clearer understanding of these interactions. These kinds of plasmas are of high scientific interest as researchers want to investigate the microscopic and macroscopic properties of complex plasmas in microgravity and investigate the liquid phase and flow phenomena of these unusual substances. Dusty plasmas help us understand the interactions of matter in space (e.g. in Saturn's rings). These plasmas are related to the formation of unusual high altitude noctilucent clouds and can affect the manufacturing of silicon wafers for semiconductors and silicon chips, which helps understand broad applications across a range of industries.

The Sleep in Orbit project will investigate the effects of sleeping in microgravity by monitoring sleep patterns in space and comparing them to sleep on Earth using in-ear electroencephalogram (EEG) equipment. Understanding more about disturbed sleep or adaptation of sleep patterns to new environments could help understand the cognitive impacts of poor sleep, including problems with attention, concentration, learning and memory, decision making, and emotional processing.

This project will investigate lightning activity at the top of thunderstorm clouds that extend into the stratosphere to better understand the role of thunderstorms on atmosphere dynamics and chemistry. Using a special camera that responds to local changes in brightness, the Thor-Davis cameras can image lightning at up to 100,000 frames per second, giving accurate pictures of what happens during a lightning strike. The proximity of these images taken from the ISS, versus weather satellites in higher orbits, helps investigators get more accurate altitude-related measurements. Other goals from this project include understanding the relationship between electrical activity and convective thunderstorm activity, effect of lightning on atmospheric greenhouse gas composition, and impact of lightning that extends beyond the tops of clouds on greenhouse gas circulation.

Conducting on-board training (OBT) while crew are in space allows training for new and complex tasks and helps remind crew of previous training done on the ground. The ESA-sponsored Virtual Reality - On-Board Training (VR-OBT) project aims to perform training activities on the ISS via a virtual reality Head Mounted Display (HMD), which enables visualization and interaction with complex 3D models. This technology demonstration will evaluate the compatibility of VR equipment with the ISS environment, test how well real-time space-to-ground collaboration can occur, and compare the efficiency of training delivery via VR relative to standard training methods.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a global volunteer organization running an educational program to inspire interest in STEAM careers by providing an opportunity to talk to astronauts on the ISS via amateur radio. Students will learn about life in space and space technologies through pre-planned school-based curriculum for a live radio event with an orbiting crewmember.

Brain organoids are small 3D aggregates of neural cells that can be used to explore how the human nervous system develops or starts to degenerate (in diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis), and how safe and effective therapeutics might be. Using human neural cells means human-specific biochemical pathways can be uncovered or targeted, helping reduce the need for animal studies that may not replicate human neural responses or predict how well humans respond to different treatments. The Cosmic Brain Organoids project will use brain organoids derived from the stem cells of patients with the neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson's disease and primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis, to assess how microgravity affects the cells and uncover cellular pathways that could suggest novel therapeutic interventions for neurodegenerative diseases on Earth.

Following research conducted on Axiom Mission 1 and Axiom Mission 2, Axiom Space continues to work with TRISH to gather systematic data on human physiology, biometric monitoring, cognitive and behavioral performance, genetic data and gene expression, contextual data through questionnaires, balance and space motion sickness, and spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) visual changes. This portfolio of projects will help understand how humans adapt to space, specifically in the context of commercial spaceflight participants. Results can also help inform Earth-based research into eye or movement disorders and the cognitive and emotional impacts of isolated, confined, or stressful environments.

In partnership with Axiom Space, the Cancer in LEO project from the Sanford Stem Cell Institute will study tumor organoids in microgravity with the goal to identify early warning signs of cancer for prediction and prevention of the disease. This project is part of the expanded ISSCOR collaboration between the Sanford Stem Cell Institute, JM Foundation, and Axiom Space, which aims to use microgravity to further understand stem cells, cancer, and aging-related effects in space to develop better prediction of disease and therapeutics for patients on Earth. The Space Hematopoietic Stem Cell Aging (SASHA) project on Ax-3 is a project from the Sanford Stem Cell Institute/UC San Diego in partnership with Axiom Space. The project investigates the activity of RNA-editing enzymes (including ADAR1, also being investigated in the Cancer in LEO project) that are involved in mutations that may be related to the development of immune dysfunction-related disease states and cancer. Understanding how the gene editing enzymes are affected by microgravity in hematopoietic cells (blood stem cells) could give insight into how leukemias and other cancers develop on Earth. This project is part of the expanded Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Reseach (ISSCOR) collaboration between the Sanford Stem Cell Institute, JM Foundation, and Axiom Space, which aims to use microgravity to further understand stem cells, cancer, and aging-related effects in space in order to develop better prediction of disease and therapeutics for patients on Earth.

Credit: Axiom

Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond.

Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket.

Stats

Total launches: 412

Total landings: 368

Total reflights: 341

The Falcon 9 has launched 52 humans into orbit since May 2020

Specs

Height: 70 m / 229.6 ft

Diameter: 3.7 m / 12 ft

Mass: 549,054 kg / 1,207,920 lb

Payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO): 22,800 kg / 50,265 lb

Payload to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO): 8,300 kg / 18,300 lb

Payload to Mars: 4,020 kg / 8,860 lb

On January 24, 2021, Falcon 9 launched the first ride-share mission to Sun Synchronous Orbit. It was delivering a record-setting 143 satellites to space. And while this was an important mission for SpaceX in itself, it was also the moment Falcon 9 overtook United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V for the total number of consecutive successful launches.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 had become America’s workhorse rocket, launching 31 times in 2021. It has already beaten that record this year, launching almost an average of once a week. While most of the launches deliver Starlink satellites to orbit, the company is still launching the most commercial payloads to orbit, too.

Falcon 9 is a medium-lift launch vehicle, with the capability to launch over 22.8 metric tonnes to low earth orbit. Unlike any other rocket, its first stage lands back on Earth after separating from its second stage. In part, this allows SpaceX to offer the cheapest option for most customers with payloads that need to reach orbit.

Under its ride-share program, a kilogram can be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit for a mere 1.1 million dollars, far cheaper than all other currently operating small satellite launch vehicles.

The reusability and fast booster turnaround times have made Falcon 9 the preferred choice for private companies and government agencies. This has allowed SpaceX to capture a huge portion of the launch market.

Protecting the Crew

On the launch pad, the crew will board Dragon prior to fueling of the rocket.

Dragon's abort system will be armed and ready to pull the crew away from Falcon 9 in the event a critical issue develops during fueling.

The launch to a 200 x 200 km orbit will take just under 9 minutes.

Dragon and its crew will then separate from the Falcon 9 second stage 11 minutes after liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center.

Photo courtesy of Erik Kuna for Supercluster.

Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is a historic launch site located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Originally constructed in the late 1960s, LC-39A was designed to support the Apollo program, including the groundbreaking Apollo 11 mission that first landed humans on the Moon in 1969. The pad also played a crucial role in launching Skylab missions and was instrumental during the Space Shuttle era, including the launch of the first Space Shuttle, Columbia, on STS-1 in 1981.

In 2014, SpaceX leased LC-39A from NASA and undertook extensive refurbishments to adapt the pad for its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. These upgrades involved significant modifications to the pad's infrastructure to meet the requirements of SpaceX’s rockets. Since then, LC-39A has become a vital launch site for SpaceX, supporting a range of missions including crewed flights under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Under SpaceX's management, LC-39A has been the site of several landmark events. It hosted the first Falcon 9 launch from the pad on March 30, 2017, and was the launch site for the historic Falcon Heavy debut on February 6, 2018, which was the most powerful rocket in operation at that time. Additionally, LC-39A was the launch site for the first crewed flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft on May 30, 2020, marking the first crewed spaceflight from U.S. soil since the end of the Shuttle program.

Today, LC-39A remains a critical asset for SpaceX, supporting both crewed and uncrewed missions. It continues to serve as a launch site for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and is expected to play a central role in future missions, including those aimed at lunar exploration and beyond. The pad's rich history and ongoing significance highlight its importance in the broader context of space exploration.

Photo courtesy of Erik Kuna for Supercluster

The Harmony module, also known within NASA as Node-2, was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in October 2007 on the STS-120 mission of Shuttle Discovery.

Harmony serves as the gateway between the US scientific and living modules and the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory and Japan's Kibo complex.

The module is equipped with two docking ports for US crew (Dragon and Starliner) and cargo (Dragon) spacecraft and also has one berthing port that can be used for either Northrop Grumman's Cygnus or Japan's HTV cargo ships.

Picture: A cargo Dragon docked to Harmony's zenith, or space-facing docking port. Part of Japan's Kibo complex can been seen to the left of Dragon. Credit: NASA

LZ-1

Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) is an 86 meter wide circular landing pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and is one of two SpaceX booster landing pads at the Florida spaceport.

Built on former Launch Complex 13, LZ-1 was the site of SpaceX's first successful landing and recovery of a Falcon 9 on the ORBCOMM-2 mission in December 2015. Since then, it has hosted 16 landings.

The landing pad, as well as its twin, LZ-2 located a few dozen meters away, can support both single landings of a Falcon 9 or simultaneous landings of the two Falcon Heavy side boosters.

Photo: Jenny Hautmann for Supercluster

Download the Supercluster app to track spacecraft traffic and view crewmembers aboard the International Space Station and China’s Tiangong Space Station.

Alternatively, you can use the web version of our Stations Dashboard on Supercluster's website.

We now track "Arrivals and Departures" for both stations through a new "Timetable" feature, covering crew rotations and cargo resupply missions.

You can also switch between the ISS and Tiangong to see their relative positions over Earth on our mini-map.

A recent update allows users to enable push alerts for notifications when space stations pass over their location.

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