Axiom Space and Hungary Sign MOU To Expand Relationship in Space

Michael Suffredini, President and CEO of Axiom Space, and Mr. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Washington D.C. on July 20, 2022. (Credit: Márton Király)

Axiom Space and the Hungarian government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further their existing relationship in human spaceflight and to advance opportunities in space research and technology development. The agreement between Axiom and Hungary was signed on July 20, 2022,  in Washington, D.C.  

The main focus of the new agreement is to further the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program, Hungary’s astronaut program, which aims to send a Hungarian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) via a future Axiom Space commercial astronaut mission. Building off the first agreement between Axiom and the Hungarian government, signed on December of 2021, which formalized a partnership to return a Hungarian astronaut to space, this MOU enables a wide range of cooperation and possible joint developments between Axiom Space and Hungary. It acknowledges both the importance the company plays in helping to define the future of human space flight, including through the future Axiom Station, as well as the capacities and space heritage of the Hungarian space sector.

“As we enter this new era of commercial spaceflight, it is vital that the U.S. space industry continues forging relationships with nations committed to collaborating in microgravity research and bringing those benefits back to the people of Earth. The U.S. has a long history of international cooperation in space, bringing countries together for the purpose of benefiting all humans, everywhere,” said Michael Suffredini, President and CEO of Axiom Space

“This second agreement between Hungary and Axiom Space builds on efforts to cultivate a robust economy in space by engaging government and industry partnerships. Such collaborations have the power to transform what was once only imaginable,” said Suffredini. “We look forward to expanding our relationship with Hungary to include new initiatives in human spaceflight, science, and STEM.”

This new agreement underscores Axiom Space and Hungary’s common interest to utilize space for peaceful purposes and promote scientific advancement through international collaboration. Under this agreement, Axiom and Hungary will collaborate to enable scientific research and technology demonstrations in microgravity, develop in-space manufacturing capabilities, and inspire the next generation of a strong and capable STEM workforce.

“This partnership with Axiom Space is an important investment that will provide opportunities conduct research in microgravity, strengthen the Hungarian Astronaut Program, and enhance Hungary’s work towards advancing space research and technology development. Together, we are confident that the space industry will play a crucial role in the development of our economy and are both committed to investing into this high-tech and knowledge-based sector. The adoption of the first Hungarian governmental Space Strategy that was established last year signifies our commitment towards expanding our involvement and presence in space.” said Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary.

The growing relationship between Axiom Space and Hungary symbolizes the company’s commitment to provide opportunities to nations across the globe who share an appreciation for the benefits provided by microgravity while strengthening bonds between nations and the world at-large.

About Axiom Space

Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately building its successor, Axiom Station, the first permanent commercial destination in Earth's orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home.

Axiom Space wins NASA Contract to Build Next Generation Astronaut Spacesuits

HOUSTON - Axiom Space announced today that it has been awarded the NASA Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) Contract. Axiom is one of two companies to win the award with a potential total value of $3.5 billion across the life of the program. Under the terms of the contract, the Houston-based company will build the space agency’s next generation astronaut spacesuits that may be used for low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Artemis lunar missions. The new spacesuits by Axiom Space will provide astronauts with advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA commercially developed human systems needed to access, live, and work in microgravity and on and around the Moon.

The Axiom spacesuit is key to the company’s commercial space services. This new NASA contract enables Axiom to build spacesuits that serve the company’s commercial customers and future space station goals while meeting NASA’s ISS and exploration needs.   

“Our innovative approach to xEVAS spacesuits provides NASA with an evolvable design that enables cost-efficient development, testing, training, deployment, and real-time operations to address a variety of EVA needs and operational scenarios for a range of customers, including NASA,” said Michael Suffredini, Axiom Space’s President & CEO. “We are immensely pleased that NASA recognizes the value Axiom Space is providing across a range of human spaceflight activities, from our recent private astronaut mission to the ISS to the design and development of Axiom Station, and now to providing this critical system and associated services for astronauts in LEO and beyond.”

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Members of Axiom Space’s Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) work on building the next generation spacesuit at the company’s Houston headquarters. Photo credit: Axiom Space 

Axiom Space has partnered with a strong team of industry experts on this contract including KBR, Air-Lock, David Clark Company, Paragon Space Development Corporation, Sophic Synergistics, and A-P-T Research.

The firm fixed price contract is structured as an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) award over a 10-year ordering period and allows for two additional years for completion of services. Authorization to perform work under the xEVAS contract will be through the issuance of NASA task orders not to exceed $3.1B with a ceiling of $3.5B for all services.

Axiom’s xEVAS spacesuits will be designed to accommodate a wide range of crew members. Building off of NASA’s xEMU spacesuit design, the Axiom spacesuits are created to provide increased flexibility and specialized tools to accomplish exploration needs and expand scientific opportunities in space. The xEVAS spacesuits design includes life support, pressure garments, and avionics. The Axiom Space team will provide EVA systems training and real-time operations support to NASA, among other services.

NASA may order IDIQ services at any time after the contract starts with a period of performance beginning June 2022 and ending June 2032.  No phase-in period is anticipated, and the work will be managed at Axiom’s Houston facilities.

This NASA contract win is the latest of Axiom Space’s list of recent accomplishments in its efforts to grow the commercial space industry. Earlier this month Axiom Space celebrated the groundbreaking at the company’s new, long-term headquarters at Houston Spaceport, which will be home to the development and construction of Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station. Axiom Space also recently welcomed home the crew of Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) after successfully completing the first all-private astronaut mission to the ISS. The company has also signed agreements with several nations including Italy, Hungary, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to fly on future space missions.

Axiom Space was founded in Houston in 2016 by space entrepreneur Kam Ghaffarian and Michael Suffredini – NASA’s ISS Program Manager from 2005 to 2015 –   to build the world’s first commercial space station and develop commercial space infrastructure that will drive a thriving low-Earth orbit economy. The company currently employs more than 500 people, the majority of which work at its current Houston facilities and will grow the number to over 1,000 by 2023.

This patch represents the Axiom Space’s Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU). Our blue star represents Ed White, the first American to perform an EVA. The red star represents Alexie Leonov, the first person to conduct a spacewalk. Each white star represents our AxEMU sub-system team. The gray path illustrates our continuous improvement in engineering design. The orange streak represents leveraging commercial EVA services for NASA’s exploration missions.

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About Axiom Space  

Axiom Space, the premier provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. Axiom is opening new markets in low-Earth orbit through operating end-to-end missions to the International Space Station while privately developing its successor – a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home.

Inquiries: media@axiomspace.com   

Axiom Space and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center Sign Agreement for UAE Astronaut to Fly on the ISS in 2023

Axiom Space is opening low Earth orbit to the broader international community by enabling the first long-duration flight for an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) signed a new strategic cooperation in human spaceflight with Axiom Space Inc. announcing the launch of a new space mission to the International Space Station that will last for six months. The agreement between MBRSC and Axiom Space was signed at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington D.C. on April 27 , and His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Chairman, MBRSC, and H.E. Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani, Deputy Chairman, MBRSC, along with astronauts Nora AlMatrooshi and Mohammed Al Mulla all attended the signing ceremony. The agreement was signed in the Embassy of the United States by both parties: H.E Salem Al-Marri, Director General of the Centre, on behalf of the Centre, and Michael Suffredini, President and CEO of Axiom Space.

HOUSTON, 29 April 2022 – The exciting new era of commercial human spaceflight ushered in over the past three weeks by the successful Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), the first private mission to the International Space Station (ISS), entered a new phase with the signing of an agreement between Axiom Space and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to fly a UAE professional crew member to the ISS on NASA’s SpaceX Crew 6, expected to occur in 2023.

“It is our great pleasure to sign the agreement with the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, marking the first time a commercial space company has made such a mission possible,” said Michael Suffredini, President and CEO of Axiom Space. “Axiom Space is proud to provide MBRSC with a flight opportunity for a UAE astronaut, enabling its first long-term mission to the ISS.”

While UAE has previously flown an astronaut to the ISS onboard the Soyuz MS15 spacecraft, this will be the first non-ISS partner professional astronaut flight facilitated by a U.S. commercial space company. The mission is expected to last approximately six months, marking the first long-duration flight of an astronaut from an Arab nation. In yet another first, the UAE crew member will serve as a member of two Expedition crews onboard the space station across the roughly six-month interval. 

The flight opportunity provided by Axiom has its origins in a no-funds contract signed between NASA and Axiom to fly a NASA astronaut onboard a Soyuz seat, previously purchased by Axiom, in order to ensure continuous U.S. presence onboard the ISS. In exchange, NASA provided Axiom the right to use a seat owned by NASA onboard a commercial U.S. spacecraft traveling to the ISS in the future. Since the seats were deemed of equal value, there will be no future exchange of funds between NASA and Axiom for the flight opportunity. Axiom’s agreement with MBRSC is between the company and the UAE space agency.

The agreement was signed at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, D.C., on April 27 by Salem Humaid AlMarri, Director-General of MBRSC, and Michael Suffredini, and announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. 

About Axiom Space

Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately building its successor, Axiom Station, the first permanent commercial destination in Earth's orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home.

Inquiries: media@axiomspace.com

Axiom Space’s First All-Private Astronaut Crew Returns From 17 Days on The International Space Station

courtesy of SpaceX

HOUSTON 25 April 2022 - The Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) crew and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft safely splashed down off the coast of Florida at 1:06 p.m. ET, Monday, April 25. The Ax-1 crew’s arrival back to Earth officially concludes the first all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), successfully demonstrating Axiom Space’s ability to integrate with the ISS and conduct meaningful research.   

During their 17-day mission, Ax-1 Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Larry Connor, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy worked aboard the orbiting laboratory for 15 days. They flew approximately 6.3 million miles, about 240 orbits of Earth. Among the many highlights:  

• Ax-1 supported 26 science payloads and technology demonstrations that had been curated with leading academic and research partners around the globe, including the Mayo Clinic, Montreal Children’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, and the Ramon Foundation, as well as research investigations from Axiom’s partners such as studying self-assembling technology for future space habitats, devices to purify air on space stations, and more;  

• The Axiom astronauts served as research subjects to better understand the impacts of microgravity on the human body, as well as methods for maintaining connectedness to loved ones on Earth during space travel; and   

• The Ax-1 crew shared the excitement of expanded access to space with a new generation of space explorers, participating in over 30 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) engagements. Outreach efforts were conducted in English, Hebrew, Spanish, French, and Arabic  

In keeping with the mission’s emphasis on scientific discovery, within hours of splashdown and recovery, the astronauts will take part in post-flight studies such as providing biomedical and physiological data for researchers at the Translational Research Institute for Space Health to gauge the effects of spaceflight on the human body, including changes in vision, balance, and perception. 

“Axiom Space is incredibly proud of this mission and these astronauts, whose training rigor and commitment to a robust research portfolio set the standard for future private spaceflight,” said Michael Suffredini, President and CEO of Axiom Space. “The Ax-1 mission is a pathfinder, showing the value of this new method of access to orbit and progress toward Axiom Station, a next generation platform in which the benefits and products of life, work and research in space will be available to a greater number of people.”   

Ax-1 is the first of several planned Axiom missions to the ISS and is an important step for Axiom Station, the first commercial space station that will serve as a global academic and commercial hub. The success of Ax-1 provides valuable insight as Axiom Space works toward Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), the details of which Axiom Space is negotiating with NASA.  

“The success of this first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station is an important step in opening opportunities for space travelers and achieving NASA’s goal of enabling commercial business off the planet in low-Earth orbit,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “This progress has been made possible by NASA’s work with private industry – especially the Commercial Crew Program. I’m incredibly proud of the NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom teams for safely completing this landmark mission. Welcome home, Ax-1!”  

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched Dragon and the Ax-1 crew to the ISS on Friday, April 8. Seventeen days later, Dragon and the Ax-1 crew undocked from the space station at 9:10 p.m. ET, Sunday April 24. The Ax-1 mission, the first all-private mission with a commercial spacecraft, highlights the important role of commercial companies to expand access to low-Earth orbit. Ax-1 represents the first of four private human spaceflights that Axiom Space has contracted with SpaceX to transport the crew to and from the orbiting laboratory.

The crew provided the following statements on their return:  

Michael López-Alegría, Ax-1 Commander, vice president of business development at Axiom Space, former NASA astronaut 

"It's remarkable to think what was once a dream of visionaries is now a reality as we have officially opened a new era in human-spaceflight with Ax-1. This mission pushed the boundaries further and beyond and opened the door to a future that allows access to Space for a much broader and more international audience", noted Ax-1 Commander Michael López-Alegría. "The Ax-1 mission would not have been possible without the remarkable team of professionals at Axiom Space, NASA, SpaceX, training teams, our personal friends and family, and so many others who, through sheer passion, enthusiasm, hard work, and resilience helped us to succeed and navigate this uncharted path. On behalf of myself and the Ax-1 Crew, we thank you all. Going to Space is an amazing adventure, but more than anything else, it offers perspective in the most literal sense. You see the world differently and come home with a new frame of reference- a new way of looking at the world. I am personally grateful to have had this opportunity once again, particularly to have shared this experience with Larry, Eytan, and Mark - Thank you! It's an incredible honor to share this journey with you all. Plvs Vltra." 

Larry Connor, Ax-1 Pilot, entrepreneur and non-profit activist investor:  

“I feel like our training prepared us for the logistics of space travel and the research for which we were responsible. And I feel like some of my previous endeavors prepared me for some of the unknowns that come with space travel. But I don’t think there’s anything that can truly prepare humans for the sights and feelings that come with circling the globe every 90 minutes. The ISS is a technical marvel. It is complex and busy. The amount of groundbreaking research happening in this flying orbiting laboratory is really breathtaking. And this isn’t just for the United States, this is for all humanity. This was a humbling experience. I hope we’ve played a role – however small – in allowing future generations to have similar experiences,” said Connor.  

Eytan Stibbe, Ax-1 Mission Specialist, impact investor and philanthropist: 

"I've had the honor of being part of Ax-1, the first private crew mission to the International Space Station, and leading the Rakia Mission. The underlying goal of Rakia is to recognize the prospective benefits of space exploration, through it we all aspired to draw on the curiosity associated with human space travel and unleash its creative potential. It aspires to raise awareness of the importance of preserving Earth’s limited resources and fostering commitment to international collaborations and the advancement of space research" says Eytan Stibbe, Impact Investor, Philanthropist, and Ax-1 Mission Specialist. "During the mission days dozens of scientific experiments which were developed by Israeli researchers and scientists were conducted onboard the space station, and students, educators, researchers, intellectuals, and the general public were stimulated by the exposure to it, and to the demonstration of the use of Israeli technology. On the educational level, Rakia enabled live transmission of educational content to hundreds of thousands of Israeli students in Hebrew, for the very first time from the ISS. In addition, Rakia presented a unique opportunity to see Israeli art projects being formed and exhibited in space. Rakia Mission and the people behind it prove that "no dream is beyond reach". I am excited to see the impact of the mission continue for years to come and to meet the many partners that created this mission and contributed to its' success upon my return to Israel,” said Stibbe.  

Mark Pathy, Ax-1 Mission Specialist, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist:  

“Joining the Ax-1 mission to the International Space Station has provided me with a unique platform to contribute to science that aims to tackle important issues affecting life on Earth, as well as contribute to the new era of space exploration we have entered,” says Mark Pathy, investor, philanthropist and Ax-1 Mission Specialist. “Under the theme 'Caring for People and the Planet', I had the immense honour of collaborating with Canadian institutions and scientists who are paving the way for a better future. On orbit, I was able to take part in a total of 12 science research projects in partnership with six Canadian universities and their investigators, including clinician-researchers at The Montreal Children’s Hospital and Child Health Research at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre; as well as technology proof-of-concepts with two technology startups, among them the world’s first two-way holoportation demonstration. I also conducted Earth observation activities in partnership with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Western University. Last but not least, I experienced the wonders of space travel; of staring into space, literally; and of time spent aboard the ISS in the company of fellow astronauts from various missions, including my Ax-1 crew mates -- this was truly a life-altering experience that delivered well beyond my expectations. I return to Earth a changed person,” said Pathy.   

Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom operates end-to-end missions to the ISS today while privately developing its successor – a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home.  

For more information:

Bettina Inclán 
Bettina.inclan@axiomspace.com  
Media@axiomspace.com 

Schedule set for Ax-1 Return to Earth, Undocking from ISS

The Ax-1 crew inside the SpaceX Dragon. Photo courtesy of SpaceX.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The teams at Axiom Space, NASA and SpaceX have decided to postponed undocking of the Ax-1 mission until Sunday, April 24 due to high winds at the splashdown site. New dates posted below. (April 23, 2022)

EDITOR’S NOTE: This document has been updated and new times have been included for hatch closure and undocking. (April 21, 2022)

UPDATED: Houston, 23 April 2022 - After two weeks in space, a date has been set for the Ax-1 crew to conclude their historic mission on the International Space Station and return home to Earth.

The integrated teams at Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX have agreed on a plan for the Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) crew to undock from the International Space Station at 8:55 p.m. ET Sunday, April 24, for a splashdown off the coast of Florida about 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 25. The decision was made based on the best weather for splashdown of the first private astronaut mission to visit the International Space Station and the return trajectory required to bring the crew and the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft back to Earth safely.

Coverage of the Ax-1 return will include three separate segments over two days - hatch closure, undocking and splashdown. All segments will be available at AxiomSpace.com

Live coverage of departure activities will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, with hatch closure targeted for 6:45 p.m. Coverage will resume at 8:30 p.m. for the undocking. On Monday, coverage will pickup again for Dragon’s re-entry and splashdown beginning at 12:00 p.m.

Teams will continue to monitor weather at the splashdown sites prior to undocking to ensure conditions are acceptable for a safe recovery of the Ax-1 astronauts and Dragon spacecraft.

NASA and Axiom mission planning prepared for the possibility of additional time on station for the private astronauts, and there are sufficient provisions for all 11 crew members aboard the space station. The Ax-1 crew continues to work through previously planned mission activities. The Ax-1 crew and Dragon spacecraft remain healthy.

Ax-1 is the first of several proposed Axiom missions to the International Space Station and an important step toward Axiom Station, the world’s first private space station, which will serve as a hub in low-Earth orbit for research and exploration. 

Ax-1 Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Larry Connor, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy will complete 16 days in space at the conclusion of their mission. SpaceX Dragon Endeavour, the Ax-1 spacecraft, will return to Earth with more than 200 pounds of science and supplies, including NASA experiments, hardware and commercial science payloads.

All live coverage will be available at AxiomSpace.com. The full schedule includes:

HATCH CLOSURE
6:30 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 24
Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m., with hatch closure targeted for 6:45 p.m. Coverage will conclude shortly after hatch closure and will be available on AxiomSpace.com and NASA.gov/live.

UNDOCKING
8:30 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 24
Coverage of the undocking of the Dragon Endeavour with the AX-1 crew begins at 8:30 p.m. Undocking will occur at approximately 8:55 p.m. The webcast will conclude on Sunday around 9:15 p.m. after Dragon fully departs the protected area around the ISS. The webcast will be available on AxiomSpace.com, NASA.gov/live and SpaceX’s YouTube channel.

SPLASHDOWN
12:00 p.m. ET, Monday, April 25
Coverage will begin at 12:00 p.m. with splashdown targeted for 1:00 p.m. The webcast will continue through the recovery of the Dragon and the Axiom astronauts. Coverage will conclude at around 2:15 p.m., once the crew is safely out of the spacecraft. Watch events live on AxiomSpace.com and SpaceX’s YouTube channel.

POST-SPLASHDOWN TELECONFERENCE
3:30 p.m. ET, Monday, April 25
Following splashdown, Axiom Space and SpaceX leadership will provide remarks and take questions from reporters via teleconference. Participants include:

• Derek Hassmann, Operations Director, Axiom Space

• Benjamin Reed, Senior Director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX

To participate in the briefing media must request call-in details no later than 8 a.m. Monday, April 25, by emailing media@axiomspace.com. This is a teleconference-only event (not in-person) with audio-only.

This information will be updated as times are confirmed for events related to mission operations. Follow along for mission updates with #Ax1 on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, as well as our website.

Axiom Space Ax-1 mission to expand health, technology researchers’ access to ISS

Self-assembling technology for future space habitats, cancer research, and devices to purify air on space stations are among investigations headed to the International Space Station on first all-private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory  

HOUSTON, 17 March 2022 – Axiom Space, a leader in human spaceflight now building the first commercial space station, announced today further details on the groundbreaking research planned for the upcoming Ax-1 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) – including self-assembling technology for satellites and future space habitats, cancer stem cell study, and air purification. 

Ax-1, history’s first all-private astronaut mission to the ISS, is a pivotal first step toward Axiom Station, the first private space station. Axiom’s multinational crew of four private astronauts will conduct more than 25 different experiments while aboard the space station, made possible by Axiom’s full-service integration into the NASA process for science and technology activities. Data collected in-flight will impact understanding of human physiology on Earth and in orbit as well as establish the utility of novel technologies that could be used for future human spaceflight pursuits and humankind on Earth.  

“As the first step on a path to building a diverse, thriving economy in low-Earth orbit, Axiom has partnered with leaders in academia and industry to bring new users and new investigations in research to the space station,” said Christian Maender, director of In-space Manufacturing and Research for Axiom Space. “The collection of biological and technological tests during the Ax-1 mission represent a breadth of research that will inform everything from human health considerations to novel infrastructure and design for our future homes away from Earth, beginning with Axiom Station.” 

The Ax-1 crewmembers are Michael López-Alegría, commander; Larry Connor, pilot; and Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy, mission specialists. 

Select Ax-1 Mission Investigations

 

Credit: MIT Space Exploration Initiative / TU Dortmund Fraunhofer Institute
Artist’s depiction of a future TESSERAE self-assembling space station in orbit around Mars

TESSERAE, in collaboration with MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative and Aurelia Institute 

TESSERAE (Tessellated Electromagnetic Space Structures for the Exploration of Reconfigurable, Adaptive Environments) is a multi-year research program exploring self-assembly methods for in-space construction. Named after the small tiles in ancient Roman mosaics, the modular TESSERAE tiles can join to create a larger structure. TESSERAE tiles pack flat for launch; once activated, they form a robotic swarm of autonomous and self-assembling units used for on-demand construction, with future applications ranging from an extra room on a space station, to parabolic mirrors, to a home base on other worlds. The prototypes launching on the Ax-1 mission include an extensive suite of sensing and electro-permanent magnets that monitor diagnostics – provide insight into the quality of bonds between tiles – and drive conformations. This scaled demonstration will build on previous microgravity evaluations of the TESSERAE experiment to explore a new frontier for in-orbit construction of satellites and future space habitats. 

Modeling Tumor Organoids in Low-Earth Orbit, in collaboration with UC San Diego and the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine 

Using a human cancer stem cell nanobioreactor model (a vessel that accelerates cell growth conditions) and cancer stem cell reporter system, this investigation will leverage the accelerated aging aspects of the microgravity environment to evaluate early pre-cancer and cancer changes in tumor organoids. This cellular biology project is focused on identifying biomarkers for early detection and supports future aims of cancer stem cell research on the ISS. The Ax-1 crew will study cell samples under a high-resolution microscope to determine cell cycle activity in cancer growth. 

JAMSS Photocatalyst, in collaboration with JAMSS, Tokyo University of Science, and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

The Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS) photocatalyst air purification device will launch on Ax-1 for a technical demonstration to verify the performance of the improved filter. This experiment also will deploy a control device without photocatalytic LEDs, to evaluate the JAMSS photocatalytic filter. With an improved air filter, the JAMSS device will be able to clean the air on the ISS and remove cabin odor, using the power of light to safely convert volatile compounds in the air into carbon dioxide and water with the goal of improving the quality of life for living and working in space. JAMSS will be the only Japanese company with research on the Ax-1 mission.

Credit: Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation

Translational Research Institute for Space Health, a consortium of Baylor College of Medicine, Caltech, and MIT

Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) is conducting biomedical research on each of the crewmembers both before the launch and after their return to Earth. A variety of data will be collected, including physiological data, a battery of cognitive tests, balance and perception tests, and visual acuity tests. Increasing human health and performance is a goal of TRISH’s EXPAND (Enhancing eXploration Platforms and ANalog Definition) program, which compiles health data from private spaceflight into a centralized research database and broadens understanding of how space impacts human health and how to prepare humans for the demands of long-distance and long-duration space travel, including to the Moon and eventually, to Mars.  

Crew-supported Research 

 

Connor, Stibbe, and Pathy, each of whom has a long history of philanthropic involvement, also have partnered directly with research organizations in their regions on a range of human health and technology investigations, from aging and chronic pain to the first in-space demonstration of two-way holoportation, a mixed-reality app using special lenses to project images via hologram.

About Axiom Space 

Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor – a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com. 

For more information contact: 
Bettina Inclán 
Jennifer Hernandez
media@axiomspace.com  

NASA Selects Second Private Astronaut Mission to Space Station

NASA has selected Axiom Space for the second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. NASA will negotiate with Axiom on a mission order agreement for the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) targeted to launch between fall 2022 and late spring 2023.

Axiom Space reveals robust microgravity research portfolio for first-ever private mission to visit International Space Station

Axiom Space, a leader in human spaceflight and human-rated space infrastructure, announced today the research underpinning its historic Ax-1 mission targeted for launch to the International Space Station in February 2022. On the first fully private mission to ever visit the ISS, the multinational crew of four private astronauts with Axiom’s Michael López-Alegría as commander will pioneer a new phase of microgravity utilization amongst non-government entities – laying the groundwork for a full realization of low-Earth orbit’s possibilities and bringing critical findings back down to Earth.

Axiom Space reveals winners of inaugural STARS Scholarship, incubating new ideas for microgravity research

If you could access a platform flying free from the shackles of gravity, what breakthrough idea could you bring to life?

On March 1, 2021, Axiom Space asked this question when announcing its inaugural STARS – Science Technology Art and Research in Space – Scholarship competition. Fifty-nine applications representing 105 individuals from 11 countries flooded in, positing new and potentially revolutionary ways to leverage the microgravity environment’s unique conditions to further human progress on Earth and in space.

Following careful consideration, Axiom is pleased to now announce and congratulate the projects and teams selected as the inaugural STARS Scholarship recipients.

The Microgravity Printed Circuit Board submitted by:

• Iyngkarran Kumar from Durham University (United Kingdom)

The printed circuit board (PCB) is the foundation of electronic devices; this project reimagines PCB manufacturing aided by the removal of gravitational forces, allowing for a broader range of production techniques that are not possible on Earth. This could, in turn, result in higher-performing and highly compact PCBs and thus breakthrough impacts on future electronic device development.

Radiation Deflecting Interactive Shield (RADISH) submitted by:

• Paulina Umansky, University of California Berkeley (United States)

• Alberto Meunier, Santa Monica College (United States)

• Angel Vasquez, Sacramento City College (United States)

This project aims to study and mature Radiation Deflecting Interactive Shields (RADISH), a compact, scalable radiation shielding system usable on almost any structure in space. This innovative technology, using powerful magnetic fields, is designed to detect incoming radiation and use the minimum amount of energy necessary to deflect – offering radical promise in enabling longer-duration human spaceflight and deep space exploration.

The Extreme Biominers submitted by:

• Arunava Poddar, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai (India)

• Anurup Mohanty, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai (India)

• Kashish Gupta, Government College for Girls, Ludhiana; Panjab University (India)

• Navaneel Sarangi, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata (India)

Biomining, a technique that uses microbes to mine waste or extract metals from rock ores, is used in various applications on Earth and has been demonstrated in space. This project proposes the use of extremophiles — microbes that thrive in extreme environments — as "miner microbes" to perform biomining in a realistic space environment with multiple extremes like radiation, low pressure, and fluctuating temperatures, with the potential to solve many of space mining’s technological and logistical challenges.

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Each team will receive a $1,000 USD cash prize toward further project development and/or for scholarship funds.

Axiom announces Ax-2 mission commander and pilot

Axiom Space on Tuesday revealed the commander and pilot of its second commercial mission proposed to fly to the International Space Station and announced the proposed crew’s intended research while on orbit. Axiom will compete to fly the Ax-2 mission when NASA announces the next private astronaut mission opportunity. If awarded, Ax-2 will further the Houston-based space infrastructure leader’s expansion of the commercial human spaceflight market and cement the research opportunities it can make possible for private industry in low-Earth orbit.

Space policy luminary Mary Lynne Dittmar joins Axiom Space as Executive Vice President, Government Affairs

Axiom Space revealed Monday that Coalition for Deep Space Exploration founder and former President/CEO Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar, known for her influential role in national policy toward human space exploration and commercial space development, has joined the Houston-based space infrastructure leader as Executive Vice President, Government Affairs.

At Axiom, which is currently constructing the world’s-first commercial low-Earth orbit (LEO) destination that will succeed the International Space Station (ISS), she will direct the company’s policy objectives and strategic advocacy with local, state, and federal government authorities.

“I am excited to be joining the team of experts I believe will accomplish the necessary next steps to ensure a permanent U.S. presence in low Earth orbit,” Dittmar said. “Axiom is leading the development of next-generation space infrastructure to meet the needs of industry, science, and the government. The opportunities it will create for a global user base are boundless.”
 
An established thought leader in the space industry, she sits on the National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group, the Space Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC). Through her work with the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration and her own consulting group, Dittmar Associates, she has served as one of the industry’s top representatives to the White House and Congress and been a senior adviser to multiple NASA mission directorates, the ISS Program, and various aerospace companies supporting the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Defense, and NASA. 

Her previous experience also includes roles as Senior Policy Advisor for the ISS National Laboratory, Member of the Board of Directors at the American Astronautical Society, and managing the Flight Operations Group and serving as the Chief Scientist for Commercial Payloads on the ISS Program at Boeing.

Dittmar’s addition bolsters an Axiom team already laden with specialized expertise in human spaceflight and deep experience in the design, construction, assembly, and operation of the ISS. She will report directly to President & CEO Michael Suffredini.

“Mary Lynne is one of the truest visionaries, leaders, and representatives our industry has ever had,” Suffredini said. “NASA and the whole of the U.S. government are valued partners in our efforts to preserve American leadership in space and open the floodgates of economic development and innovation in microgravity. She will tirelessly advocate for this vision and serve as an essential strategic voice. We are beyond thrilled to welcome her.”

In selecting Axiom in January 2020 to attach its own privately developed modules to ISS, NASA marked the Houston company a key driver of its efforts to commercialize LEO through public-private partnership. Once constructed as a new segment of the ISS, the Axiom Station will separate when the ISS is decommissioned and form the core infrastructure layer of the LEO economy – an industrial park in orbit offering space infrastructure as a service, opportunities for microgravity manufacturing and research, and accommodations for national and private astronauts.

About Axiom Space

Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor – a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com.

Inquiries: beau@axiomspace.com