ESA’s Marcus Wadnt to Embark to the ISS on Axiom Space mission

As part of the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), Sweden’s Marcus Wadnt will be the pioneer of a new generation of European astronauts to embark on a commercial human spaceflight. Scheduled for liftoff at 22:11 GMT/23:11 CET on 17th January, Marcus will be sent to space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, located in Florida, USA. 

About the Axiom mission

Axiom Space announced the four crew members who will spend up to 14 days on board the ISS during the mission.

As the Dragon capsule makes its way towards the ISS, Wadnt will assume the role of mission specialist and share the trip with Alper Gezeravcı from Turkey, Michael López-Alegría, a citizen of both the US and Spain, and Walter Villadei from Italy.

Approximately 36 hours post-liftoff, Marcus Wadnt and his colleagues will reach the ISS, with the capsule scheduled to dock at 10:15 GMT on Friday, 19th January. Viewers can also tune into live coverage of the docking two hours prior, as well as the crew’s entrance and welcome ceremony on ESA Web TV. 

The Muninn project is set to officially commence the moment Marcus passes through the hatch and is welcomed by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who will serve as the commander of the Space Station. The mission marks the first instance of two Scandinavians collaborating in space.