Ax-3 Mission Crew Return To Earth Aboard SpaceX Dragon Freedom: Splashdown

Concluding a three-week Ax-3 mission to the international space station(ISS), SpaceX Dragon Freedom splashed down off the coast of Daytona Beach, Florida under four main parachutes at about 1330 UTC on Feb. 9. Aboard are astronauts are Commander Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA spaceflyer who's now Axiom Space's chief astronaut; pilot Walter Villadei, a colonel in the Italian Air Force; mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı, the first citizen of Turkey ever to reach space; and mission specialist Marcus Wandt, an European Space Agency reserve astronaut.

"Thank you for flying SpaceX," SpaceX's mission control radioed to the Ax-3 astronauts. 

"Flying SpaceX was our pleasure," Ax-3 Lopez-Alegria replied as the Freedom bobbed in the Atlantic. "All four crewmembers are feeling well."

Ax-3 mission launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 18 and arrived at the ISS on Jan. 20. Freedom undocked from the ISS on Wednesday (Feb. 7) at 1420 UTC. Their stay on the space station was expected to end on Feb. 3, but bad weather in the splashdown zone pushed it back four days.

"It's been an incredible, busy and fun-filled two weeks up here," López-Alegría said during a livestreamed departure ceremony aboard the ISS on Feb. 2. "I am very proud of my Ax-3 crewmates, who helped their agencies achieve all of their science objectives, technology demonstrations, as well as the outreach events."

During their stay  in the space station, Ax-3 crew performed more than 56 scientific experiments, including work in physics and space medicine. They spoke with a wide variety of dignitaries, students and at the European Space Conference during their stay, including a call to actor Melissa Navia, who portrays Lt. Ortegas on 'Star Trek: Strange New World.'

"Data collected on ground before and after the mission as well as in flight will impact understanding of human physiology on Earth and on orbit, as well as advance scientific understanding, harness opportunities for industrial advancements, and develop technologies for humanity's progress," Axiom Space wrote in a mission description.

WATCH Ax-3 mission leave the space station and return to Earth