Axiom-3 mission return delayed: Turkish astronaut's return postponed
SpaceX has announced a delay in the return of the Axiom-3 mission crew, including Turkey's first astronaut, Alper Gezeravci, from the International Space Station (ISS) to no earlier than Monday, February 5, citing "unfavorable recovery conditions."
"The next opportunity for the Dragon capsule, carrying the Ax-3 crew, to undock is now set for Monday at the earliest," SpaceX stated early Saturday on the social media platform X. The company emphasized that its teams would continue to monitor the weather conditions closely in preparation for the next undocking attempt.
Originally scheduled to undock at 6 a.m. Eastern Time (1100 GMT), the Dragon capsule is tasked with returning the Axiom-3 mission crew to Earth. This mission, comprising four astronauts from Turkey, Spain, Italy, and Sweden, was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 19 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and successfully docked at the ISS on January 20.
During their time in space, Gezeravci and his fellow crew members were tasked with conducting over 30 scientific experiments, contributing valuable insights to our understanding of space and science.
