As part of a historic mission taking the world’s first private astronaut crew to the International Space Station (ISS), members of Axiom Space’s AX-1 mission onboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor shared their thoughts from space earlier today. The AX-1 mission took to the skies yesterday, and its crew will spend roughly a week at the ISS to conduct science experiments in a variety of fields. After completing their sleep period, the crew made up of Michael López-Alegría, Larry Connor, Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy spoke to mission controllers live from the Crew Dragon, marking the first time in human history that an astronaut crew has addressed Earth from space.
Astronauts Share Thoughts From Space While Travelling To ISS - Describe Experience Of Lifting Off On SpaceX Falcon 9
The AX-1 mission is being headed by Commander Michael López-Alegría who is a former Captain for the United States Navy and a retired National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut. He has extensive experience as an astronaut, having conducted ten spacewalks in his career. Additionally, he has spent more than 60 hours in space, a NASA record. Speaking to ground control, Commander López-Alegría started off by stating his position relative to the Earth and the speed at which the Crew Dragon was traveling, He explained that he and his crew will spend eight days on the ISS and had slept well. As the Commander described: Alongside López-Alegría, non-profit activist investor and entrepreneur Mr. Larry Connor is part of the AX-1 crew as the pilot. For the Crew Dragon, the pilot is an individual fully trained to fly the spacecraft and acts as a backup for the commander. As part of his statements, Mr. Connor stressed the importance of outreach and his experience taking off from Earth and flying on the Crew Dragon. The entrepreneur also shared details about the science experiments he and his crew will conduct on the ISS. Speaking to ground control, he stated: Alongside the Commander and the Pilot, Mission Specialist Mark Pathy also shared his thought. Mr. Pathy is the CEO of a Canadian investment company focusing on innovation and social impact. He is also a board member of several charitable and social foundations. He showed off the crew’s zero-g indicator Caramel the Dog which is the mascot for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. He described getting used to zero-g along with all the challenges that it presents.
