The International Space Station has been in operation since 2000 under a US-Russia-led partnership involving 13 other countries. Although the space station has had regular visitors before, the Ax-1 team will be the first space commercial team to use the ISS for its intended purpose as a working environment.
Axiom was founded in 2016 by Michael T. Suffredini and Kam Ghaffarian. The company plans a 2022 commercial transit to the International Space Station (ISS) aims to own and operate the world’s first commercial space station by 2024.
The company’s leadership team is mainly made up of former NASA personnel, including former NASA Commander Charles Bolden. Other key figures in the company include astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria and Brent W. Jett Jr.
Launch Date And Time
The first independent space mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to be launched at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:17 A.M. Eastern Time on April 8, 2022. This landmark goal is a collaborative partnership between Axiom Space, SpaceX and NASA.
Axiom Mission 1 will spend 8 days at the International Space Station, conducting scientific research, public outreach and commercial activities. The total duration of the mission will be 10 days.
Read: Live Updates on Artemis 1: Human Exploration Mission To Moon
Members Of The Axiom Mission 1
The campaign will be led by retired NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, who will be visiting for the fifth time in space and a third visit to a space station.
Other team members include mission driver Larry Connor and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy.
NASA has completed a review of the Ax-1 mission aircraft and the teams are continuing to launch the first independent astronaut mission on the ISS.
Goal Of The Axiom Mission 1
The goal of the review was to assess the readiness of the ISS to implement the AX-1 goal that includes arrival, docking and in-orbit operation and deferral.
The Axiom Mission 1 team will be sharing space with seven regular ISS members, including three US astronauts, three Russian astronauts and one German astronaut.
NASA and Axiom Space have signed an order for the first private spacecraft on the ISS.Witness history as the first secret campaign was launched at the International Space Station (ISS).
The campaign, called Ax-1, marks a new milestone in NASA’s progress in transforming Earth orbital missions into businesses. Enabling Ax-1 is an important step in reviving the need for commercial human aviation services so that NASA will be one of the many customers in low-Earth orbit.
Which Rocket Will Be Used For The Launch?
The four-member Ax-1 team will be the first independent astronaut team to fly in space. The crew will go to the space station in the SpaceX dragon endeavor spacecraft. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is considered to be used to launch the spacecraft.
What Is The Future Of Space Tourism?
This industry will be focused on space travel, which is a growing market that is expected to have a net worth of $ 3 billion by 2030. As companies such as SpaceX are exploring reusable rocket technology to make space travel more accessible and accessible to humans. other private companies, including Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are investing in tourism in the suborbital space to take Earthlings to the outer and outer edges.
Although only wealthy passengers and independent researchers will be able to access space tourism soon, it has long had promises for ordinary citizens.
What’s Next After This Mission?
Axiom intends to attach some modules to the International Space Station before making it private.
Some details of the future of the Axiom mission given in the documents,
Axiom Hub 1 could be installed in 2024 with a capacity of 4 staff eh av having a staff quarter. The Axiom Hub 2 by 2025 will double the size of those seats. Axiom Hub 3 in 2026 will enable the Axiom Lab module designed for industrial research and finally the Axiom Power Tower in 2027 will attach a solar array that will make spacewalks a possibility and will help the space station to split.
New Updates About The Crew, Purpose And Cost Of Axiom AX1 Mission
CREW Of The Axiom AX1 Mission-
Michael Lopez-Alegría-
He is an commander, and a former NASA star of the three spacecraft and commander of ISS Expedition 14 in its fourth place, during a flight to the Russian Soyuz.
In this writing, Lopez-Alegría holds the record for the most active spacewalks upto 10 distinct space journeys and he has the most concentrated time on a spacesuit: 67 hours and 40 minutes. He was imported into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame by 2020 and serves on a number of space counseling boards.
“Being away from NASA for 10 years and sharing these things with new friends and colleagues has given me a lot of appreciation for how important that was,” Lopez-Alegría wrote on Twitter. “Being able to hear it is like waking up and going back to a dream.”
Larry Connor-
He is the Ax-1 pilot and has flown 16 different aircrafts, including fighter jets. Connor is accustomed to flying helicopters and race car driving.
He has won five aerobatic competitions and participated in numerous U.S. competitions like, National Aerobatic Championship. He owns a real estate investment company Connor Group which specializes in luxury apartment communities.
Connor’s previous activities include the establishment of The Connor Group Kids & Community Partners, designed to address persistent poverty.
“I think I am speaking for all of us that we understand that this first citizen work is a great honor and opportunity,” Connor told a news conference Friday. “But with that comes a huge responsibility – that is, to do the job properly and effectively.”
Mark Pathy-
He is an Ax-1 mechanic, the CEO and chairman of the investment firm MARVIK in Montreal, Canada. He is also the board chairman of Stingray Group Inc. a music, media and technology company.
Mark Pathy also serves on the board of the Pathy Family Foundation, among other charities such as Montreal Children’s Hospital, which will do research on the route.
In a conference on friday Mark Pathy said he had an amazing experience so far. “It has already changed my life, and we haven’t even started presenting yet, so… I’m very happy to be here.”
Eytan Stibbe-
He is an Ax-1 equipment specialist, he is also the co-founder of the Vital Capital impact investment fund.
He was an Israeli Air Force (IAF) pilot and aviation instructor at the Israel Air Force Flight Academy. Stibbe was a close associate of Israeli pilot and astronomer Ilan Ramon, who died in a 2003 Columbia spacecraft accident. Stibbe and the Ramon family founded the Ramon Foundation; Stibbe will do basic tests in orbit.
“Being part of this unique team is proof to me that no dream can be unachieved,” Stibbe told a news conference on Friday. “That is the motto of my work in space.”
How Much Will It Cost To Fly To Space?
According to some reports,the four passengers on the first flight each paid a massive sum of $ 55 million to be part of the Ax-1 campaign. That is about the same as the price paid by NASA for flights to the International Space Station.
While the Blue Origin flight to the lowest point was expected to cost around $ 200,000 to $ 300,000 back in 2018.
What Are People Going To Do In The AXIOM Space Station?
- The astronauts in space will conduct Research, using made in space with technologies such as 3D bioprinting.
- It will support space exploration in places like the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
- Private people will be able to stay in space like in hotels.
This company is not the only one looking to build its own space station. Other companies like Orbital Reef, a proposal developed by Blue Origin and others, will be launched in the latter part of the 2020s and serve as a mixed business park.
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