SpaceX sends spaceship with tourists to ISS, including first Turkish astronaut

SpaceX sent the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS), which also carries space tourists. The spacecraft also carries the first Turkish cosmonaut. The launch took place as part of the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) program.

The spacecraft was launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. According to a statement released by SpaceX, while at the orbiting laboratory, the crew will "conduct more than 30 scientific experiments aimed at advancing human physiology and industrial technologies."

The crew consists of four people: former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, Italian Air Force Colonel Walter Villadei, Swedish Marcus Wandt and Turkish Air Force pilot Alper Gezeravcı, who became the first astronaut in Turkish history.

SpaceX launched its first spacecraft with non-professional astronauts in September 2021. There were four people in the spaceship. They flew into low-Earth orbit on the Crew Dragon spacecraft and spent three days there conducting scientific research.

In 2012, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial spacecraft to carry a payload to the ISS and back to Earth. In September 2023, the Crew Dragon-6 spacecraft returned a crew of four from the International Space Station.