The US space agency (NASA) announced over the weekend the postponement of the launch date of a sky mission (Ax-1 by Axium) in which the Israeli astronaut Eitan Steve participates until the beginning of April.
The scheduled date is Sunday, April 3rd, but even that date is not final and further changes to the launch date may apply. During his stay in space, Steve is expected to perform, among other things, dozens of scientific experiments, and deliver lessons to students on Earth.
Prior to the postponement, the scheduled launch date was March 30, from the Cape Canaveral space base in Florida. The company said in a statement that the reason for the postponement was “to allow the crews to complete the final preparations in the spacecraft for the mission.”
The ‘Sky’ mission, led by the Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, is designed to promote and expand the Israeli space industry, provide opportunities for breakthroughs of dozens of Israeli technologies and scientific experiments in space, and contribute to education and art in Israel. During his stay at the space station, Eitan Steve will devote most of his time to performing the experiments as well as to educational and artistic activities for children and youth in Israel.
The mission team includes only private individuals, for the first time in human history. Participating in the historic mission – along with Eitan Steva: Michael Lopez-Allegria, former NASA astronaut (US space agency) and Axiom Space Vice President, Larry Connor, American entrepreneur and activist in nonprofits and Mark Pati, investor and Canadian philanthropist.