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������� will hold a virtual press conference with leaders from NASA and SpaceX, as well as leaders from the Italian Air Force, Turkish Space Agency (TUA), and European Space Agency (ESA) to provide a high-level review of mission operations and objectives to officially kick off major media efforts leading up to Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).

Ax-3 will be the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to launch to the ISS – redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and helping chart a course toward Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station.

As part of Ax-3, Türkiye is sending its first astronaut to space in a larger effort to expand the nation’s space exploration capabilities and establish a national human spaceflight program. Ax-3 will also be the first commercial spaceflight mission for an ESA-sponsored astronaut. For Italy, the Ax-3 mission represents a whole-of-country effort to expand its access to space for the purposes of research, development, and innovation.

The Ax-3 crewmembers are Commander Michael López-Alegría of the U.S. and Spain, Pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, and Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı of Türkiye and Marcus Wandt of Sweden and ESA. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-3 crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than January 2024 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

AX-3 MISSION OVERVIEW PRESS CONFERENCE
Wednesday, December 13 at 9:00am CT

Participants include:

• Matt Ondler, President, �����о���
• Michael López-Alegría, Chief Astronaut and Ax-3 Commander, �����о���
• Angela Hart, Manager, Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, NASA
• Joel Montalbano, Manager, International Space Station Program, NASA
• Sarah Walker, Director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
• Col. Valerio Anastasi, Chief of Space Programs and Capabilities Office, Italian Air Force
• Tufan KAYACI , Head of Launch System Department, Turkish Space Agency (TUA)
• Frank De Winne, Head of the European Astronaut Centre, European Space Agency (ESA)

This press conference will be held virtually. Media must register to participate in this briefing and must RSVP by 12:00pm CT on December 12.

Register here for the mission overview press conference:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Follow along for mission updates with #Ax3 on (formerly Twitter), , and , and on our website.

Updated: 12/12/2023

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