The Future of the International Space Station: Axiom’s Latest Private Mission and NASA’s Commercial Successor Plans
Last night, the Axiom Space mission with a private crew lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, headed to the International Space Station (ISS). A glimpse into the future of the space station itself, the four-person crew, led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, flew aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and docked with the ISS this morning, marking the second time Axiom has transported paying customers to the ISS.
The Future of the ISS
The years of the ISS are numbered, with NASA pledging support of the station up until 2030, at which point the agency aims to have the first components of a commercial successor ready. NASA has awarded contracts to a trio of companies, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, and Nanoracks, to develop competitive designs, with a separate contract awarded to Axiom in 2020 to develop a habitable module to attach to the ISS, with up to three modules to follow. The first is expected to launch in late 2025, and once NASA and its partners decommission and deorbit the ISS, Axiom’s modules will separate and merge with each other, becoming an independent space station.
Private Passengers and Experienced Astronauts
Private passengers and experienced space agency astronauts will have to learn to live and work side by side as the number of visitors and modules increases. The interactions between Axiom passengers and traditional astronauts could change, especially once private clients essentially have their own orbital hotel rooms. “These missions are very important to us at NASA as we try to open up space to a greater cross-section of society. We believe that the economy in low-Earth orbit will continue to expand, and one day NASA will simply be a participant in that economy, buying services from private industry,” Ken Bowersox, NASA associate administrator, said at a joint press conference on Saturday.
The AX-2 Mission
The AX-2 mission, carrying three paying visitors for an eight-day stay, plus Commander Whitson, Axiom’s director of human spaceflight, will build on her record as the American who has spent the longest time in space—665 days. The other members of the quartet include American racing driver and businessman John Shoffner, Royal Saudi Air Force pilot Ali AlQarni, and biomedical researcher Rayyanah Barnawi. AlQarni and Barnawi are the first Saudis to visit the ISS, and Barnawi is also the first Saudi woman in space. The Saudi Arabian government is paying for their tickets, and Shoffner is paying for his. Axiom declined to disclose the exact ticket price for this flight, although the coveted seats for AX-1 in 2022 cost around $55 million each.
Expanding Opportunities
The presence of Barnawi and AlQarni aboard the AX-2 is a significant accomplishment for the Saudi Space Commission’s human spaceflight program, established by the Saudi government in December 2018. Private companies in the space industry, with the advent of Axiom’s module constructions and other space modules to come, will propel the space tourism and elevate the economy in low Earth orbit.
Summary
Axiom’s private mission to the ISS marks a significant milestone for space tourism, with the years of the ISS numbered and NASA’s plans to have commercial successor components ready by 2030. The AX-2 mission, carrying three paying visitors and the director of human spaceflight for Axiom, Peggy Whitson, aims to expand opportunities in low earth orbit. Private passengers and experienced space agency astronauts will have to learn to live and work side by side as the number of visitors and modules increases, ensuring that the interactions between Axiom passengers and traditional astronauts have to evolve consistently. As the space industry evolves, it will likely propel the space tourism industry towards new heights, and elevate the economy in low Earth orbit.
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Last night, a The Axiom Space mission with a private crew lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, heading to the International Space Station. The four-person crew, led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, flew aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and docked with the ISS around 9:12 am ET this morning. This is the second time that Axiom has transported paying customers to the ISS. Maiden flight last year it was a milestone for space tourism. This time, it’s a glimpse into the future of the space station itself.
The years of the ISS are numbered. NASA has pledged to support the station. until 2030, at which point the agency wants to have the first components of a commercial successor ready. In 2021, the agency awarded contracts to a trio of companies—Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, and Nanoracks—to develop competitive designs. NASA awarded a separate contract to Axiom in 2020 to develop a habitable module to attach to the ISS, with up to three modules to follow. The first is expected to launch in late 2025, and once NASA and its partners decommission and deorbit the ISS, Axiom’s modules will separate and merge with each other, becoming an independent space station.
But in the meantime, private passengers and experienced space agency astronauts will have to learn to live and work side by side. Over time, as the number of visitors and modules increases, the interactions between Axiom passengers and traditional astronauts could change, especially once private clients essentially have their own orbital hotel rooms. “These missions are very important to us at NASA as we try to open up space to a greater cross section of society. We believe that the economy in low-Earth orbit will continue to expand, and one day NASA will simply be a participant in that economy, buying services from private industry,” Ken Bowersox, NASA associate administrator, said at a joint press conference on Saturday. last week with officials from Axiom and SpaceX.
Ax-2, as this space flight is called, carries three paying visitors for an eight-day stay, plus Commander Whitson, Axiom’s director of human spaceflight, who will build on her record as the American who has passed longer in space—665 days. (Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka holds the world record of 878 days.) The other members of the quartet include American racing driver and businessman John Shoffner, Royal Saudi Air Force pilot Ali AlQarni, and biomedical researcher Rayyanah Barnawi. AlQarni and Barnawi are the first Saudis to visit the ISS, and Barnawi is also the first Saudi woman in space. “I feel very honored and happy to represent all the hopes and dreams of the people in Saudi Arabia and all the women back home,” Barnawi said at a press conference with the rest of the team on May 16.
The Saudi Arabian government is paying for their tickets, and Shoffner is paying for his. Axiom declined to disclose the exact ticket price for this flight, although the coveted seats for Ax-1 in 2022 cost around $55 million each.
The presence of Barnawi and AlQarni aboard the Ax-2 will mark a great success for the Saudi Space Commission’s human spaceflight program, which the Saudi government established in December 2018. Artemis Accords and the launch of a handful of telecommunications satellites.
https://www.wired.com/story/axiom-2-second-private-flight-commercial-space-station/
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