The four astronauts of Ax-3 mission will leave the International Space Station in their SpaceX Dragon capsule no earlier than Monday (Feb. 5), and you can watch the event live. The Crew Dragon “Freedom” was initially set to undock from the space station on Saturday (Feb. 3) at 6:05 a.m. EST (1105 GMT). Due to adverse weather conditions in Freedom’s splashdown area, located in the ocean off the Florida coast, the undocking has been postponed and is now scheduled to take place no earlier than Monday. Whenever the departure occurs, it will be available to watch live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the agency. Related: Live updates from the Ax-3 private astronaut mission 
The four astronauts of Axiom Space’s Ax-3 mission, wearing blue and orange flight suits, bid farewell to their Expedition 70 crew hosts on Feb. 2, 2024 as they prepared for their return to Earth. (Image credit: NASA TV) Ax-3 is the third crewed mission to the International Space Station organized by Houston-based company Axiom Space, following similar missions in April 2022 and May 2023. Ax-3 was launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 18, carrying four crewmembers. They include Ax-3 commander Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut who now serves as Axiom Space’s chief astronaut; pilot Walter Villadei, a colonel in the Italian Air Force; mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı, Turkey’s first-ever astronaut; and mission specialist Marcus Wandt, a reserve astronaut with the European Space Agency. López-Alegría, who holds dual U.S.-Spanish citizenship, is described as the first all-European crewed mission to the ISS. This marks the first orbital mission for Villadei, Gezeravcı, and Wandt, with Villadei previously having gone to suborbital space with Virgin Galactic last year. In contrast, López-Alegría brings extensive experience, having undertaken six orbital trips, including a previous mission, Ax-1, in 2022, making him the first person to fly on a Dragon capsule twice. Over their time in orbit, the Ax-3 crew has carried out over 30 different scientific experiments, including work in physics and space medicine. Axiom Space has indicated that some of their research will contribute to enhancing its training programs for future missions. As Ax-3 nears its completion, SpaceX is preparing for another astronaut flight – the Crew-8 mission for NASA, which will transport four spaceflyers to the ISS for a roughly six-month stay. Crew-8 is presently scheduled for liftoff on Feb. 22. Editor’s note: This story was updated at 2:10 a.m. EST on Feb. 3 with news of the undocking delay.
