Axiom Space – Ax-1 Mission Flight Day 4 Update
The Axiom Astronauts began a full slate of science and outreach activities.
The crew members continue to get accustomed to life in microgravity, learning how to move their bodies in the constant free-fall environment of the International Space Station (ISS).
The four-person multi-national Ax-1 team brings the total number of occupants on the station to 11 individuals living on the orbiting laboratory. Like most astronauts, the Ax-1 crew members are tightly scheduled throughout their eight days on the ISS, often down to planning five-minute increments. With a full ISS complement ensuring every crew member accomplishes his daily tasks, the ISS mission planners play a real-life Tetris game for space.
The astronauts are tasked with many responsibilities, including capturing images via pictures and videos. All crew members received extensive training on how to use the media equipment to accurately capture Earth observations, scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, and record rich content for future use.
Crew members also will document their meals and navigation around the space station.
Throughout the week crew members will participate in educational STEAM activities. Ax-1 Mission Specialist Eytan Stibbe participated in several events supporting the Rakia Mission. Under the banner “There is No Dream Beyond Reach” one of Rakia’s goals is to inspire a new generation to dream big. Stibbe is using his time on the ISS to develop engaging content for students in Israel. He’ll answer questions, complete STEAM educational programming, and conduct science experiments.
Today the crew began working on its robust science portfolios, composed of more than 25 experiments and technology demonstrations. Some examples:
Ax-1 Commander Michael López-Alegría installed edge computing capabilities that will contribute to the future of smart space stations.
Ax-1 Pilot Larry Connor, working with the Mayo Clinic on Aging and Heart Health, brought human cells to test the effects of microgravity on the heart. Today he started to examine the impact of microgravity on those cells, which can help us better understand aging.
Ax-1 Mission Specialist Mark Pathy demonstrated the value of bringing augmented reality to space by setting up the Holoportation system. These interactive two-way Holoportation sessions will afford the ability of future crew members to explore deep space with the ability to bring friends, family, and physicians close with them so that they can get an on-Earth experience. This technology has potential applications for telemedicine on Earth.
Axiom Space’s science is turning sci-fi into reality.
