The first all-private crew to visit the International Space Station splashed down around 1:07 p.m. The 17-day excursion was marked by NASA's first collaboration with private companies on a space tourism mission, a milestone in the commercialization of space travel.
The Dragon Crew capsule docks with the International Space Station.
The crew of the Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Atlantic without incident.
The mission left the International Space Station around 9 p.m. The crew carried over 200 pounds of science equipment and other supplies.
Michael Lopez-Alegr, a former NASA Astronaut, commanded the mission and was joined by passengers Larry Connor, an Ohio real estate CEO, and Mark Pathy, the CEO of Canada-based investment firm Mavrik Corp.
Poor weather conditions delayed the voyage back to Earth for the AX-1 crew.
The agency is working to arrange a second private visit to the space station, and for commercial accommodations to be attached to the station.
The AX-1 mission lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on April 8 and was tasked with performing outreach and conducting scientific research on stem cells. Bad weather on Earth forced the crew to extend their visit to eight days. The AX-1 mission marked a major step in the agency's initiative to allow more people to visit space. According to the New York Times, space tourism will only be accessible to the wealthy in the near term. The space station will be attached to the International Space Station before it detaches and is independent.
$55 million. The New York Times reported how much a seat on the mission cost.
The company has been contracted to provide transportation for three more Axiom missions to the International Space Station.
The first private mission to space station takes off from Florida.
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