Ax-3 astronauts, SpaceX Dragon now targeting Wednesday morning Florida coastal splashdown

Ax-3, the first all-European crew of private astronauts at the International Space Station , continues an extended stay in low-Earth orbit amid unfavorable weather conditions at oceanic splashdown locations near the Florida coastline, SpaceX reported.

Poor weather postponed Ax-3’s SpaceX Dragon capsule undocking-splashdown attempts Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Now, the astronauts are scheduled to depart the ISS at 9:05 a.m. Wednesday, SpaceX announced.

A Federal Aviation Administration navigational warning had indicated a possible Tuesday night Dragon splashdown zone within a 9-mile area about 30 miles offshore from the Pensacola region, the Pensacola News Journal reported.

Houston-based Axiom Space — which bills itself as the lone company with the privilege of connecting modules to the ISS — launched the four astronauts Jan. 18 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center , in partnership with NASA.

The company’s goal: Build the world’s first commercial space station. And the Ax-3 mission is playing a pivotal role, said Mike Baine, Axiom Space chief technology officer.

Story continues

TRENDING NOW

LATEST LOCAL NEWS