December 23, 2024

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX Teams Wave-Off Ax-1 Undocking – Space Station Reboosts

The SpaceX Dragon Endurance crew ship is visualized from a window aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour team ship. Endurance is docked to the Harmony modules forward-facing port while Endeavour is docked to Harmonys space-facing port on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
At the conclusion of a weather condition briefing ahead of todays planned undocking, NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX groups chosen to wave off todays undocking effort due to a diurnal low wind trough which has been causing partially high winds at the splashdown websites. The Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) private astronaut crew is now targeting to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) at 8:55 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 24. To wave off suggests to postpone the landing of a spacecraft at the last minute to predictions of bad weather condition at the landing site.
The planned time for undocking was at 6:35 p.m. EDT today, Saturday, April 23, 2022. The previous target was to undock at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, however that was also waved off due to unfavorable climate condition expected at the splashdown sites.
Weather condition allowing, the Ax-1 team is targeted to close the hatch at about 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, to begin the journey house in SpaceX Dragon Endeavour with splashdown off the coast of Florida at roughly 1:00 p.m. on Monday, April 25.

The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour team ship is imagined docked to the Harmony modules space-facing international docking adapter. Endeavour brought four Axiom Mission 1 astronauts, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, Pilot Larry Connor, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy, to the International Space Station for several days of research study, education, and industrial activities. Credit: NASA
NASA Ax-1 return coverage is as follows (perpetuity Eastern):.
Sunday, April 24.

6:30 p.m.– Coverage begins for hatch closure at approximately 6:45 p.m.
8:30 p.m.– Coverage starts for undocking at about 8:55 p.m.

The SpaceX Dragon Endurance team ship is envisioned from a window aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour team ship. Stamina is docked to the Harmony modules forward-facing port while Endeavour is docked to Harmonys space-facing port on the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour crew ship is pictured docked to the Harmony modules space-facing worldwide docking adapter.

Axiom Space will resume protection of Dragons re-entry and splashdown start at midday Monday, April 25, on the companys website.
The Russian Progress 79 fired its thrusters for 10 minutes, 23 seconds today at 9:25 a.m. This space station reboost maneuver enhances phasing for future visiting vehicles coming to the station. The reboost increased the orbiting labs elevation by 9/10 of a mile at apogee and 1.3 miles at perigee and left the station in an orbit of 264.7 x 254.2 statute miles.