The International Space Station, currently housing 11 crew members with four docked spaceships, welcomes a private quartet from Axiom Mission-2 (Ax-2) while anticipating a fifth cargo-bearing spaceship. The private and existing crews are busy with both adjustment activities and ongoing space science
The SpaceX Freedom Dragon crew ship with four Axiom Mission-2 private astronauts aboard is pictured approaching the International Space Station on May 22, 2023. Freedom, commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, with Pilot John Shoffner and Mission Specialists Ala Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing port at 9:12 a.m. EDT on Monday beginning eight days of docked operations with the seven-member Expedition 69 crew.
The private quartet consisting of Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Al Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi spent Tuesday getting familiar with station operations. They practiced preparing food and drinks, conducting hygiene practices, performing safety procedures, and operating lab equipment while getting used to living in space.
Four spaceships are docked at the space station including the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour and Freedom crew ships and Roscosmos’ Soyuz MS-23 crew ship and Progress 83 resupply ship. Credit: NASA At the end of the day, the foursome joined the seven-member Expedition 69 crew and reviewed roles and responsibilities in the unlikely event of an emergency. The international crew of 11 located safety gear such as fire extinguishers and portable breathing gear, followed escape routes, and coordinated communications with mission controllers in response to fire, ammonia leak, or pressure leak events.
In the middle of the new crew adaptation activities, there was still time for ongoing space science and lab maintenance activities.Flight Engineer Frank Rubio serviced a variety of components and swapped samples inside a research furnace and a fluorescence microscope. NASA Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg configured gear supporting a
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