This mockup will give you a sense of the @Axiom_Space Commercial #Space Station crew quarters' size. They are designed for the 95th height %ile, and each room has LED hue controls, a 2-foot tall Earth-facing window and many more features. At my 'mighty' 5'9" this feels great!
Axiom has published a neat and tidy newsletter of what they have been up to:https://mailchi.mp/axiomspace.com/axiom-space-raises-16mlaunches-astronaut-mission-sales-and-trainingHighlights:- Contract to train an Italian astronaut- Sold a seat for a private astro $55M- Signing more MOUs- Raised $16M- Hired Charlie Bolden- Busy on design- Have a contract to fly 300 rodents on a single SpaceX crew Dragon, a mission for NASAI remain super impressed with these folks. They keep building up their operational business within the ISS framework while they build to a station of their own. No splashy announcements that get cancelled a few months later. No constant churn of one concept after another being dropped. Just steady, legitimate progress.
“It takes about four years of running hard to get our module built,” he [Michael Suffredini] said. That means that, if NASA waits until some time in 2019 to hold a competition for a docking port, Axiom’s module would not be in place until about 2024, near the end of the station’s lifetime. Holding the competition now, he argued, could move that up to 2023.
I missed this when it came out in 2018 but it is still of some interest in respect of timing:Quote“It takes about four years of running hard to get our module built,” he [Michael Suffredini] said. That means that, if NASA waits until some time in 2019 to hold a competition for a docking port, Axiom’s module would not be in place until about 2024, near the end of the station’s lifetime. Holding the competition now, he argued, could move that up to 2023.https://thespacereview.com/article/3516/1
Quote from: TrueBlueWitt on 01/28/2020 03:06 amIs there a valid technical reason(read fairing size) they would choose Delta/Atlas launch vehicle(As stated in the article) to fly these modules.. over other cheaper launch providers like SpaceX?At this point, no. Given that Axiom is reportedly going to contract Boeing for most of the actual segment design and production, not hard to draw conclusions about why SpaceX might have been excluded as a launch option
Is there a valid technical reason(read fairing size) they would choose Delta/Atlas launch vehicle(As stated in the article) to fly these modules.. over other cheaper launch providers like SpaceX?
Quote from: TrueBlueWitt on 01/28/2020 03:06 amIs there a valid technical reason(read fairing size) they would choose Delta/Atlas launch vehicle(As stated in the article) to fly these modules.. over other cheaper launch providers like SpaceX?The article didn't say what launch vehicle Axiom will use, I don't think there's any information on this.The article did say in 2010 NASA considered expanding ISS by launching a Node 4 module on Atlas V or Delta IV, given the plan was made in 2010 when F9 is barely flying it's no surprise they didn't choose SpaceX back then. I think this is just a bit historical trivia, not relevant to the current Axiom situation except that it shows you can expand ISS without Shuttle.
