The rocket successfully launched at 22.49pm Italian time (16pm local time) from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral (Florida, US). F of SpaceX with the mission crew on board Axiom Space 3 (Ax-3), which includes Air Force Colonel Walter Villadei.
“We are facing an epochal paradigm shift, like many there have been over the course of our centenary history - declared the AM chief of staff, air team general Luca Goretti - and the Air Force, with its particular skills in this domain which is the natural extension of the aviation one, wants to be the protagonist of this change, also acting as a stimulus for the development and success of a new model of synergy between public and private of which this mission is a significant example".
“Our gaze has always been aimed at the stars. Space is our future and above all that of future generations. We must continue to work and invest with a vision in this direction.
The fruits of this mission and the experiments that will be conducted on board the International Space Station by col. Villadei and the other astronauts will contribute to increasing fundamental scientific, technological and operational skills in all areas, including that of national security and defense, and will be important pieces to continue laying the foundations for future access and use of space by everyone", concluded General Goretti.
The docking of the spacecraft Crew Dragon with astronauts on board at the International Space Station, in technical jargon docking, is expected on the morning of January 20th; the crew, made up of four European astronauts, will remain on board the ISS for two weeks, during which a series of experiments linked to human activities in space will be carried out, of great importance for the country system at a scientific, technological and operational level.
In particular, the Air Force will focus on research activities relating to safe access to space and the physiological implications of staying in orbit, and will play a coordination role for the activities that Italian companies and startups have promoted, in order to increase the experience of the national industrial fabric in the space sector.
