Axiom Space LLC

[Norm38]

I saw this in another thread:

And Axiom can't help either, because the last item in their launch plan is their PPE, which means they need ISS (and particularly Canadarm2) for their assembly worksite.  Loss of ISS puts their whole project in jeopardy.

So Axiom would have to flip all their plans and build the PPE first, but they probably need all the early experience docked at ISS to build the PPE.
And if the Russian section goes offline, but remain attached, then more mass from the Axiom modules only makes attitude control/reboost worse.  So it doesn't look like we're going to see anything interesting on this front.

[Robotbeat]

I saw this in another thread:

And Axiom can't help either, because the last item in their launch plan is their PPE, which means they need ISS (and particularly Canadarm2) for their assembly worksite.  Loss of ISS puts their whole project in jeopardy.

So Axiom would have to flip all their plans and build the PPE first, but they probably need all the early experience docked at ISS to build the PPE.
And if the Russian section goes offline, but remain attached, then more mass from the Axiom modules only makes attitude control/reboost worse.  So it doesn't look like we're going to see anything interesting on this front.

How does the Axiom module get to ISS if it doesn’t have any propulsion? How does it stationkeep/rendezvous for berthing?

[trimeta]

Don't forget, the Axiom Orbital Segment mounts to the Forward side of the station, so basically the absolute worst position for reboosting purposes. Sure, they can spin the station 180° each time, but that uses up even more propellant.

As for going free-flyer from the beginning, until the PPE is added the Axiom Orbital Segment is dependent on the USOS for power. So that's not an option without significant reshuffling.

[Lars-J]

Don't forget, the Axiom Orbital Segment mounts to the Forward side of the station, so basically the absolute worst position for reboosting purposes. Sure, they can spin the station 180° each time, but that uses up even more propellant.

Not a big deal. This happened frequently during the Shuttle visits. (swinging the station around for a reboost)
And reboosts are not frequent.
(Can the CMGs assist in the spin around maneuver? It seems likely but I don't know)

As for going free-flyer from the beginning, until the PPE is added the Axiom Orbital Segment is dependent on the USOS for power. So that's not an option without significant reshuffling.

The Axiom modules have enough solar panels on them to operate on their own in some basic capacity, although the extra power that ISS could provide would be helpful to be able to power more equipment.

[Norm38]

I saw this in another thread:

And Axiom can't help either, because the last item in their launch plan is their PPE, which means they need ISS (and particularly Canadarm2) for their assembly worksite.  Loss of ISS puts their whole project in jeopardy.

So Axiom would have to flip all their plans and build the PPE first, but they probably need all the early experience docked at ISS to build the PPE.
And if the Russian section goes offline, but remain attached, then more mass from the Axiom modules only makes attitude control/reboost worse.  So it doesn't look like we're going to see anything interesting on this front.

How does the Axiom module get to ISS if it doesn’t have any propulsion? How does it stationkeep/rendezvous for berthing?

My guess would be each module has enough fuel to get to the ISS and berth.  But only the margin is left to reboost.  Is Axiom designing any module but the PPE to be refueled from visiting vehicles?  I don't know.

[su27k]

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1507490433156497408

Suffredini: have signed up the customers who will fly on Ax-2 and 3; on Ax-4 have two signed and two seats open, but have customers asking to fly on it. Like to fly a little more open.

[Rondaz]

Building on the strategic partnership that Axiom &  @mitsuiandco signed in September, and following Mitsui's investment in Axiom, the partners have initiated the formation of a joint venture in Japan to accelerate on-orbit services to commercial & government customers.

https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space/status/1513623704462315523

[Rondaz]

This unique partnership builds on both Axiom's in-space capabilities and Mitsui's global industrial reach.

Read more:

https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space/status/1513623707830394885

[Rondaz]

Axiom Space and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. announce Japan-based joint venture.

News

April 11, 2022

HOUSTON and TOKYO, April 11, 2022 — Building on the strategic partnership that Axiom Space and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. signed in September, and following Mitsui's investment in Axiom Space, the partners have initiated the formation of a joint venture in Japan to accelerate on-orbit services to commercial and government customers. This unique partnership builds on both Axiom's in-space capabilities and Mitsui's global industrial reach.

Together, Axiom Space and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. are opening the doors for non-traditional users to leverage the advantages of space, including microgravity and the unique vantage point of Low Earth Orbit. These services broaden international human spaceflight, research, manufacturing, and other opportunities at the International Space Station, and enhance a growing set of opportunities at Axiom Station, now under construction.

Axiom and Mitsui have been meeting with and onboarding commercial customers in consumer electronics, entertainment, agri-tech, chem-tech, marketing/advertising and other sectors. Discussions have also expanded to government organizations, space agencies and NGOs.  With the increased volume of the partners' activity in Japan, they are establishing operations together to support the rapidly growing customer base.

Axiom Space launched the world's first all-private crew to the International Space Station on April 8, 2022. Back on Earth, Axiom now has $500 million in customer contracts, 420 employees and is on track to have closed more than $1 billion of customer contracts before the end of 2022. The first sections of Axiom Station are on schedule for launch to orbit in 2024 and 2025, where they will be connected to the ISS following the completion of verification and validation exercises. A few years later the completed Axiom Station will detach, providing a direct path to adopt much of the ISS user base.

Axiom Space's Chief Business Officer Amir Blachman said, "We recognized Mitsui's distinguished track record of creating global-scale industrial partnerships in the government and commercial sectors. With Mitsui, we aim to accelerate the development of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and advanced materials that improve the quality of life on Earth. We will also integrate our companies' capabilities to answer the growing demand for on-orbit satellite deployment and servicing, cloud computing, entertainment and exploration systems in orbit."

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. is a global trading and investment company with a diversified business portfolio that spans approximately 63 countries in Asia, Europe, North, Central & South America, The Middle East, Africa and Oceania with over 43,000 employees. Mitsui also has a growing footprint in space. The company was selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as a service provider for CubeSat deployment from the Japanese KIBO module at ISS, and was commissioned by JAXA to conduct the preliminary business concept study assuming the use of KIBO Pressurized Module in JFY 2020.

"Mitsui took this step with Axiom because of its progress far ahead of other entities who have proposed to build space stations," Mitsui & Co., Ltd., General Manager, Space Business Dept., Kazutomi Shigeeda said. "Axiom's unique partnership with the ISS Program and physical connection to the ISS, its peerless leadership team, and progress with commercial and government customers, position Axiom to lead the future of industry in Low Earth Orbit and we have already started jointly to develop these large markets." 

Together, the companies aim to build on that progress and execute a shared vision – to open space to a broad user base, providing data to help solve global-scale problems, create competitive products, and allow continued opportunities for countries to cooperate in space.

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.  More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com.

About Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (8031: JP) is a global trading and investment company with a diversified business portfolio that spans approximately 63 countries in Asia, Europe, North, Central & South America, The Middle East, Africa and Oceania. Mitsui has built a strong and diverse core business portfolio covering the Mineral and Metal Resources, Energy, Machinery and Infrastructure, and Chemicals industries.

Mitsui has further diversified beyond its core profit pillars to create multifaceted value in new areas, including innovative Energy Solutions, Healthcare & Nutrition and through a strategic focus on high-growth Asian markets. This strategy aims to derive growth opportunities by harnessing some of the world's main mega-trends: sustainability, health & wellness, digitalization, and the growing power of the consumer. For more information on Mitsui & Co's businesses visit, www.mitsui.com.

https://www.axiomspace.com/news/axiom-space-and-mitsui-co-ltd-announce-japan-based-joint-venture

[Rondaz]

Axiom Space is proud to team with Boryung and @StarburstAero to announce the first annual “Care In Space” (CIS) Challenge, advancing the next generation of pharmaceutical, bioscience and medtech development in space.

https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space/status/1516106520982953986

[Rondaz]

Axiom Space's Rex Walheim is a veteran @NASA astronaut who has flown to space three times, including on the final Space Shuttle flight in 2011. Rex shares his thoughts about space travel and being part of this new era in human exploration with #Ax1.

https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space/status/1517202982110212096

[Rondaz]

Veteran Astronaut Rex Walheim on Ax-1 and this new era of human spaceflight..

[yg1968]

Emirati astronaut set for six-month mission to International Space Station:
https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/science/2022/04/29/emirati-astronaut-set-for-six-month-mission-to-international-space-station/

https://twitter.com/SarwatNasir/status/1519978176545492997

https://twitter.com/SarwatNasir/status/1519980493458055168

[Conexion Espacial]

https://twitter.com/MDA_space/status/1521470701584191488

[yg1968]

Canadarm3 technology to be included on Axiom commercial space station:

https://spaceq.ca/canadarm3-technology-to-be-included-on-axiom-commercial-space-station/

[harrystranger]

Today Axiom broke ground for their new headquarters at Houston Spaceport.

https://www.axiomspace.com/news/axiom-hq-spaceport
https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space/status/1524508696113565698?s

[Rik ISS-fan]

Tom Cruise space movie producers sign deal with Axiom to build studio in orbit:
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/20/tom-cruise-movie-producers-sign-axiom-deal-for-space-production-studio.html

At 20ft diameter this is large open space. Great for visitors to play in as well. Can also be used for testing propulsion on space suits and other space vehicles.

You mean this is a great module for space tourist to get stuck into mid air. Or destroy the microG environment by bumping to hard against walls.
Living is 0G requires walls spaced at most two meters apart from each other. Otherwise you can get stuck in mid air, and barely be able to get to a wall to get moving again. There is nice footage from KIBO/JPM opening during  STS-124. ~20min into this video.

In a spinning station, there is artificial gravity (centrifugal force) so this rule doesn't apply there.

The USA have decided to extend ISS life until 2030.
NASA: Biden-Harris Administration Extends Space Station Operations Through 2030
So I'm not sure Axiom station will disconnect from the ISS by 2028.
They might take over operations from 2030 (Axiom ground control) and stay connected with the US-side of the ISS. Most likely the Russian side of the ISS has been uncoupled from the US-side (that's a lot of work externally), so it can be deorbited.
The Axiom station stay in nearly the same orbit as the ISS. So I expect they will take as much of the useful modules and equipment from the ISS, before the ISS is deorbited. (when permitted)

[TrevorMonty]

Tom Cruise space movie producers sign deal with Axiom to build studio in orbit:
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/20/tom-cruise-movie-producers-sign-axiom-deal-for-space-production-studio.html

At 20ft diameter this is large open space. Great for visitors to play in as well. Can also be used for testing propulsion on space suits and other space vehicles.

You mean this is a great module for space tourist to get stuck into mid air.

I thinking with small gas thrusters.

Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk

[Rik ISS-fan]

Tom Cruise space movie producers sign deal with Axiom to build studio in orbit:
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/20/tom-cruise-movie-producers-sign-axiom-deal-for-space-production-studio.html

At 20ft diameter this is large open space. Great for visitors to play in as well. Can also be used for testing propulsion on space suits and other space vehicles.

You mean this is a great module for space tourist to get stuck into mid air.

I thinking with small gas thrusters.

I wrote about the blue text. You are writing about the bold text.
I agree, EVA manouvering system testing can be done with cold gas thrusters (pressurized gas, of nitrogen) inside the SEE-1 module. That's nearly all it can be used for if it's a giant empty sphere. I think this isn't a very useful module.
It's a large hardly usable volume. It's also nice for tourist to play around in, but that causes micro gravity disturbing vibrations. Possibly it's better to have these vibrations in SEE-1 than at locations where experiments are run.
Possibly I've jumped to the conclusion it's a giant empty sphere. We have very few details about the SEE-1 module.
AFAIK there are two variants of inflatable modules.
Bigelow Aerospace Genesis was a radial expanding module (only the diameter increased).
BEAM expanded both axially and radially (Length and diameter increased).
With only radial (Ø) expanding modules the utilities can be installed on the ground. And they hardly have to move. With axial and radial expanding modules, the utilities have to move during module inflation.
That's a challenge.
For a empty sphere only air circulation has to be arranged. For active payloads power and data needs to be provided. With high power (kW) payloads active cooling is needed, most likely via water cooling lines.
It could very well be the case that there is internal structure between the CBM (birthing ring, with grapple fixture) and the other end of the module. I hope there is internal structure and utility in there, that would make it much more useful. For utility NASA already developed the Random Acces Frames (RAF) and Deployable Modular Frame (DMF). I had the impression the experiment rack Axiom was working on was based on RAF. ^{(Axiom Rewind June 2021)}

AFAIK Axiom is using GOx-GCH4 thrusters in the axiom modules. GCH4 is a waist gas from ECLSS CO2 removal, normally it's vented overboard. The Oxygen needs to be brought to the station, this can be in the form of water. Via electrolysis (oxygen generation system) the water can be split into oxygen for breathing and propulsion and hydrogen, to feed the Sabatier reactors where CO2 is converted into O2 + CH4.

Good news about the start of construction of the new Axiom HQ.
So the Axiom Hub modules will arrive there in 2023 for final assembly and integration. Other modules might be fully assembled there.

[edzieba]

In a spinning station, there is artificial gravity (centrifugal force) so this rule doesn't apply there.

The issue still occurs with rotating stations, as if you are not touching the walls there is no force applied. You can wait for air currents to push you back towards the walls (that may be moving at speed relative to you) but you can wait for ventilation air currents to move you to the side of a microgravity volume too. In a large hollow rotating volume, you can serenely float in the middle in microgravity whilst everyone spins around you.

Running some bungee cords across the volume works in either case to solve the problem. Or provide all passengers/crew with "here's a ball of velcro on a string. Throw it at one of the velcro patches that are ubiquitous everywhere anyway, and reel yourself in".