NASA selects Axiom Space for second private astronaut mission to ISS in 2022-2023

Aerospace company Axiom Space has bagged NASA’s contract for the second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for scientific research and outreach activities. Named Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), it is expected to be conducted between the fall of 2022 and late spring 2023 and will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This announcement comes after NASA and Axiom signed an agreement for the Axiom Mission 1, which will take place no earlier than February 21 next year.

Axiom Mission 2

Explaining its selection of Axiom for awarding Axiom a second contract, NASA said in its statement-

NASA evaluated the mission proposal based on Axiom’s ability to execute it successfully, NASA’s ability to support it, and its contribution to the agency’s mission and goal of low-Earth orbit commercialization. 

The agency also informed that along with international partners, it will review the selection of astronauts for the mission after conducting standard medical qualification testing. The astronauts will be approved for flight after a series of tests. It also stated that a third private mission will not be announced anytime soon as NASA looks to gather lessons learned from the first private astronaut flight as well as other applicable station activities, following which it will make future mission announcements. Notably, this mission will be no more than 14 days aboard the ISS. 

Axiom Mission 1

In its recent release, NASA also highlighted the Axiom Mission 1 which will be the first private space mission to the space station. For this mission, four people have been selected as crew members who are currently undergoing training for the trip that would last for a total of eight days. Following the agreement, Axiom President and CEO Michael Suffredini had said as per NASA's release-

The first private crew to visit the International Space Station is a watershed moment in humanity’s expansion off the planet and we are glad to partner with NASA in making it happen. A thriving commercial marketplace in low-Earth orbit begins with expanding access to serious, nontraditional users and that is exactly the aim of our private astronaut missions.

Under the agreement, services such as crew supplies, cargo delivery to space, storage, and other in-orbit resources for daily use will be purchased by Axiom and in turn, NASA will purchase Axiom's capabilities to return scientific samples from space to Earth. 

(Image: Twitter/@NASA)