The Axiom Mission 1, Ax-1, has returned to Earth from the International Space Station.
The capsule carrying the crew splashed down off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, 18:06 WAT on 25 April, 2022.
Unfavourable weather in the splashdown coast of Florida, for four times, delayed the undocking of Ax-1, from the International Space Station.
The trip that was planned for 10 days lasted 17 days.
The undocking from the Harmony Module of the ISS was on 02:10 WAT on 25 April, 2022.
The delay became necessary because poor weather conditions will hamper the pick-up of the astronauts when they splashdown and may endanger their return.
Earlier, a farewell ceremony was held for the Ax-1 crew by the astronauts and cosmonauts in the ISS.
NASA, Axiom Space and SpaceX launched the Axiom Mission 1, Ax-1, to ISS on 8 April, 2022.
They are the first fully, private astronaut mission to the ISS.
The crew of four docked the following day and were welcome by the seven astronauts and cosmonauts in the ISS.
Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut and Commander of the mission, decorated his three crew mates with their Astronaut’s badge, signifying their newly earned status as astronauts.
By agreeing to the mission, NASA is seen as opening-up orbital space tourism like Roscosmos.
Ax-1 was to launch on March 30, 2022
The test of the 30-storey-high Artemis 1 Moon rocket in Complex 39B in the same launch site in Florida, forced NASA to delay the launch.
NASA held a “wet dress rehearsal” for the Artemis 1 Moon rocket launch on 1 April, 2022 where the staff undertook the activities, including fueling of the Space Launch System, that lead-up to a real launch.
That exercise that was to last about two days, ran into problem and was shifted to 12 April, 2022 and finally called off, freeing the site for another major launch – Ax-1.
They now targeted a no earlier than launch date of April 8, 2022.
The Dragon capsule and Falcon rocket were rolled out to the launch site on 5 April, 2022.
The trip is organised by Axiom Space, a private aerospace company.
Each of the space travelers paid $55 million for the trip, except for the commander, Michael López-Alegría, who is now a member of staff of Axiom Space.
Larry Connor, an American, acted as Pilot; Mark Pathy from Canada and Eytan Stibbe from Israel are both Mission Specialists.
Israel Space Agency says there are 34 science experiments Eytan Stibbe will conduct in ISS.
The crew brought back more than 200 pounds of scientific materials from their work for NASA.
Eytan Stibbe, a 62-year-old former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot, is the second Israeli to go to space.
Colonel Ilan Ramon, 48, was the first Israeli astronaut. He was on the Space Shuttle Columbia that was launched on January 16, 2003 but dis-integrated on 1 February, 2003 on re-entering the Earth.
All the seven astronauts onboard were killed in that accident.
There is therefore, great excitement in Israel over Stibbe’s participation in Ax-1 mission.
He did not disappoint when he greeted in Hebrew on embarking on the ISS.
He also made the best of the three thousand-year-old Jewish festival of Passover which starts this year on 15 April, 2022 (Good Friday) and lasts till Easter Sunday.
Great relief over his safe return too, after some media reports of the crew being stranded in space.
photo credit: nasa
