The SpaceX capsule carrying the first-ever all-private flight to the International Space Station successfully docked Saturday, kicking off a weeklong science mission 21 hours after the launch took place.
Docking was delayed by a glitch that obstructed the video feed used to monitor the connection, forcing the capsule to maintain its position 20 meters, or 66 feet, away from the orbiting research center for about 45 minutes until the problem was fixed.
“There’s a tradition when you pass a certain boundary, you become an astronaut. That happened to these three gentlemen for the first time yesterday. Now I’d like to note it officially,” Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria said before pinning each of his crewmates with a pin from the Association of Space Explorers, per Axiom Space.
SPACEX AND NASA LAUNCH FIRST PRIVATE MISSION TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
Docking was confirmed complete at 8:41 a.m. EST, and after the passageway between the Crew Dragon capsule and the ISS was sealed, the team boarded the station. The Ax-1 crew plans to spend eight days in orbit and participate in an array of experiments, including research on aging, cancer, brain health, and stem cells.
#Ax1 crew welcomed by the @space_station crews as they leave Dragon and enter into their home for the next 8 days pic.twitter.com/ewgYizC2Kv
— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) April 9, 2022
Lopez-Alegria, a retired NASA astronaut and vice president for business development, led the mission. He was joined by Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe, who shelled out $55 million apiece for the space trip.
The crew was launched into space aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket Friday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. They are joining one German and three U.S. astronauts, as well as three Russian cosmonauts.
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Friday’s launch marks SpaceX’s sixth successful human space flight in about two years and the second successful flight with private passengers. The first one took place last year when a billionaire and his guests flew into orbit. The ISS has previously hosted civilian visitors, but this is the first time an all-private team has boarded the vessel to conduct research.
Axiom has three missions remaining under its contract with SpaceX, according to the company, which aims to create the first-ever commercial space station.
