Quote from: theonlyspace on 10/24/2024 07:54 pmWhat is going on with Axion space station being downsized?What are you talking about? DO you have any links to news about Axiom downsizing their station plans?
What is going on with Axion space station being downsized?
(...)Axiom initially aimed to build a commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) space station by attaching modules to the International Space Station (ISS) and eventually detaching to form a free-flying station. However, due to financial constraints and the need to cut costs, they have had to scale back some of these plans (1).(1) https://spaceexplored.com/2024/09/21/axioms-commercial-viability-may-be-on-the-downturn/
And in an exciting collaboration, Axiom Space and Prada revealed the flight design of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit to be worn by the first woman to walk on the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis III mission.
Axiom Space Accelerates Axiom Station AssemblyDecember 18, 2024Payloads, power, thermal to go first enabling commercial free-flyer two years earlierAxiom Space announced today that it is revising the Axiom Station module sequence to enable its commercial space station to become an independent orbital platform as early as 2028.Revising the order in which modules will attach to the International Space Station allows Axiom Station to operate as a free-flyer about two years earlier than planned, supporting customer needs as well as national objectives – preparing the International Space Station for a U.S. deorbit vehicle and decommissioning station by the end of this decade.“We were ready to answer the call when NASA asked us to relook at our space station development plan,” said Mark Greeley, Axiom Space Chief Operating Officer and Axiom Station program manager. “Our ongoing assessment of the assembly sequence revealed opportunities for flexibility and enhancements. With the International Space Station needing to protect for the ability to accommodate a deorbit vehicle on station, we were able to accelerate this work to support the program’s requirements.“NASA has been extremely collaborative and supportive of the new plan as it addresses its deorbit operational concerns and preserves critical capabilities currently utilized on the International Space Station,” Greeley added. “This revised approach not only aligns with U.S. objectives but also delivers immediate value for our customers and investors.”Originally, the plan was to attach Habitat 1 (AxH1) first, before the power and thermal module. Now, the on-orbit assembly sequence will start with the Payload Power Thermal Module (AxPPTM), followed by AxH1, an airlock, Habitat 2 (AxH2), and finally the Research and Manufacturing Facility (AxRMF).“The result – free-flight capability after the launch and berthing of PPTM,” Greeley explained, “allowing us to add modules while on orbit once we have separated from station. Our goal is to ensure a smooth transition from a government to a commercial platform, maintaining a continuous human presence on orbit to serve a community of global customers and partners, to include NASA.”The AxPPTM primary structure will be built by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, and then relocated to Houston no earlier than fall 2025, where the integration of the internal structure and systems will take place at Axiom Space facilities.“We thank Axiom Space for the trust in our company, commending to Thales Alenia Space an additional module to the ones currently under development for Axiom Station,” said Walter Cugno, Vice President for Exploration and Science. “We proudly welcome the challenge to further increase our effort by providing a new pressurized module in addition to AxH1 and AxH2. Thales Alenia Space has proven in the past, consolidating today, the capabilities and the commitment to be a key enabler of humanity’s exploration ambitions in LEO and beyond.”Thales Alenia Space plans to produce the PPTM utilizing structural elements from AxH1 and AxH2 to accelerate construction. Elements from these modules are already underway and will be back-filled – AxH1 being the priority to enable its rendezvous with PPTM once separated from the International Space Station.Tejpaul Bhatia, Axiom Space Chief Revenue Officer, underscored the importance of international collaboration regarding this effort, stating, “Working with leading experts like Thales Alenia, who have a proven record in module development and a strong relationship with NASA, is integral to our operations and vision.“By engaging and integrating with a network of partners from around the world, we access cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions that enhance our capabilities and supply chain,” Bhatia added. “Our customer base is truly global, including governments, private entities, and research institutions. This diversity enables us to meet a wide range of needs and reinforces our belief that space exploration is a collective endeavor for the benefit of all of humanity.”Axiom Space is working alongside NASA to execute on this revised sequence and realize the company’s and the nation’s space exploration objectives. Axiom Space was awarded a contract by NASA in 2020 to attach a privately developed module to the International Space Station, as part of NASA’s efforts to commercialize LEO and retire the International Space Station.
Pressure shell components of the Payload Power Thermal Module (PPTM) are set up for welding at Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. The PPTM will connect to the International Space Station to secure critical infrastructure. Courtesy of Thales Alenia Space / Axiom Space.
One issue with that approach, Axiom executives said in an interview, is that the company would have installed those modules on a docking port called Node 2 Forward on the ISS under an agreement with NASA in early 2020. That is the port that will later be used by the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), the spacecraft that will provide the final maneuvers to deorbit the station into the South Pacific at the end of its life.NASA approached Axiom earlier this year to find ways to deconflict USDV from the Axiom modules. One option would have been for the USDV to dock to the Axiom modules. “That potentially presents a risk to Axiom if, for some reason, they had to deorbit and we weren’t ready to separate,” said Mark Greeley, chief operating officer of Axiom Space and program manager for Axiom Station.The company decided to revise the sequence of the station’s assembly. It will now start with the PPTM, which includes power and thermal systems as well as eight science racks for research payloads. Rather than dock PPTM to Node 2 Forward, it will instead berth to one of two ports currently used by cargo spacecraft like Cygnus.[...]“The huge advantage here to both NASA and Axiom is the fact that they do not have to reconfigure the forward port,” said George Motter, chief engineer and architect of Axiom Station. “They can bring the deorbit vehicle at any time. They can prepare for deorbit on their schedule, and once we arrive, we can stay there for a short time or a long time. We’re not in the way.”
Under the company’s new assembly sequence, the Payload, Power, and Thermal Module will launch to the orbiting laboratory first, allowing it to depart as early as 2028 and become a free-flying destination known as Axiom Station. In free-flight, Axiom Space will continue assembly of the commercial destination, adding the Habitat 1 module, an airlock, Habitat 2 module, and the Research and Manufacturing Facility.“The updated assembly sequence has been coordinated with NASA to support both NASA and Axiom Space needs and plans for a smooth transition in low Earth orbit,” said Angela Hart, manager, Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The ongoing design and development of commercial destinations by our partners is critical to the agency’s plan to procure services in low Earth orbit to support our needs in microgravity.”The revised assembly sequence will enable an earlier departure from the space station, expedite Axiom Station’s ability to support free-flight operations, and ensure the orbiting laboratory remains prepared for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle and end of operational life no earlier than 2030.[...]NASA is supporting the design and development of multiple commercial space stations, including Axiom Station, through funded and unfunded agreements. The current design and development phase will be followed by the procurement of services from one or more companies.
We thank Axiom Space for the trust in our company, commending to Thales Alenia Space an additional module to the ones currently under development for Axiom Station. We proudly welcome the challenge to further increase our effort by providing a new pressurized module in addition to AxH1 and AxH2.
There isn't an off-the-shelf active docking system that Axiom can buy (NDS nor SpaceX)
I am attaching a graphic of the Axiom Station in the current version - it is slightly different from the previous one. The module connections according to this drawing will be as follows: PPTM | H1 - H2 - [ISS] | | RMF ALUnfortunately, apart from the information that PPTM "will be built by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, and then relocated to Houston no earlier than fall 2025", no dates are given...
The ESPRIT module is composed of two main elements: Lunar Link[2] will ensure communications between the Gateway and the Moon, while Lunar View[3] will supply the station with xenon and chemical propellants to extend its lifetime. Lunar View features a pressurized volume with six large windows, offering a 360° view on the outside of the Gateway and the Moon, and will include a logistics area for storing cargo and supplies intended for the crew.This amendment to the ESPRIT contract provides for a significant increase in the size of Lunar View, which will now span 4.6 meters and be 6.4 meters long, with a total mass of 10 metric tons (versus 3.4 meters, 3 meters and 6 metric tons initially). This evolution is the result of NASA’s choice to launch Lunar View alongside a crewed Orion vehicle aboard the SLS Block 1B launcher, which offers more lift capacity than the launch vehicle previously planned.
In coordination with NASA, Axiom Space modified its planned assembly sequence to accelerate its ability to operate as a viable free-flying space station and reduce International Space Station reliance during assembly.NASA awarded Axiom Space a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract in January 2020, as the agency continues to open the space station for commercial use. The contract provides insight into the development of at least one habitable commercial module to be attached to the space station with the goal of becoming a free-flying destination in low Earth orbit prior to retirement of the orbiting laboratory in 2030.The initial Axiom Space plan was to launch and attach its first module, Habitat 1, to the space station, followed by three additional modules.Under the company’s new assembly sequence, the Payload, Power, and Thermal Module will launch to the orbiting laboratory first, allowing it to depart as early as 2028 and become a free-flying destination known as Axiom Station. In free-flight, Axiom Space will continue assembly of the commercial destination, adding the Habitat 1 module, an airlock, Habitat 2 module, and the Research and Manufacturing Facility.“The updated assembly sequence has been coordinated with NASA to support both NASA and Axiom Space needs and plans for a smooth transition in low Earth orbit,” said Angela Hart, manager, Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The ongoing design and development of commercial destinations by our partners is critical to the agency’s plan to procure services in low Earth orbit to support our needs in microgravity.”The revised assembly sequence will enable an earlier departure from the space station, expedite Axiom Station’s ability to support free-flight operations, and ensure the orbiting laboratory remains prepared for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle and end of operational life no earlier than 2030.“The International Space Station has provided a one-of-a-kind scientific platform for nearly 25 years,” said Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program at NASA Johnson. “As we approach the end of space station’s operational life, it’s critically important that we look to the future of low Earth orbit and support these follow-on destinations to ensure we continue NASA’s presence in microgravity, which began through the International Space Station.”NASA is supporting the design and development of multiple commercial space stations, including Axiom Station, through funded and unfunded agreements. The current design and development phase will be followed by the procurement of services from one or more companies.NASA’s low Earth orbit microgravity strategy builds on the agency’s extensive human spaceflight experience to advance future scientific and exploration goals. As the International Space Station nears the end of operations, NASA plans to transition to a new low Earth orbit model to continue leveraging microgravity benefits. Through commercial partnerships, NASA aims to maintain its leadership in microgravity research and ensure continued benefits for humanity.
We are working to simplify access to space and have already implemented significant changes in the training from Ax-1 to Ax-4. Government astronauts require several years of training, but private astronauts in the commercial model don't have the time or the need for such a comprehensive preparation.
.@Axiom_Space closed 2024 with the completion of Axiom Station’s Phase 2 Critical Design Review (CDR), and 2025 will see even more progress and promise. We’re looking forward to CDR Phase 3 and the delivery of our first module to Houston!
