SpaceX F9/Dragon : Axiom AX-1 Crewed Flight : 8 April 2022 (15:17 UTC)

[gongora]

Thread: Axiom Space LLC
Thread: NASA Selects First Commercial Destination Module for International Space Station

Scheduled for early April using Crew Dragon Endeavour on a previously flown booster from LC-39A at KSC.


Axiom Space plans first-ever fully private human spaceflight mission to International Space Station

HOUSTON – Today Axiom Space announced it is planning history’s first fully private human spaceflight mission to the International Space Station.

Axiom has signed a contract with SpaceX for a Crew Dragon flight which will transport a commander professionally trained by Axiom alongside three private astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The mission, set to launch as soon as the second half of 2021, will allow the crew to live aboard the ISS and experience at least eight days of microgravity and views of Earth that can only be fully appreciated in the large, venerable station.

“This history-making flight will represent a watershed moment in the march toward universal and routine access to space,” Axiom CEO Michael Suffredini said. “This will be just the first of many missions to ISS to be completely crewed and managed by Axiom Space – a first for a commercial entity. Procuring the transportation marks significant progress toward that goal, and we’re glad to be working with SpaceX in this effort.”

This is the first of Axiom’s proposed “precursor missions” to the ISS envisioned under its Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA. Discussions with NASA are underway to establish additional enabling agreements for the private astronaut missions to ISS.

Axiom plans to offer professional and private astronaut flights to ISS at a rate of up to two per year to align with flight opportunities as they are made available by NASA, while simultaneously constructing its own privately funded space station.

“Since 2012, SpaceX has been delivering cargo to the International Space Station in partnership with NASA and later this year, we will fly NASA astronauts for the first time,” said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. “Now, thanks to Axiom and their support from NASA, privately crewed missions will have unprecedented access to the space station, furthering the commercialization of space and helping usher in a new era of human exploration.”

With its team’s vast experience in human spaceflight, Axiom serves as a one-stop shop overseeing all elements of its missions. In addition to contracting with SpaceX for a Crew Dragon vehicle to transport its crew to the ISS, Axiom’s turnkey service for the mission – two days in transit and at least eight days aboard the ISS – includes training, mission planning, hardware development, life support, medical support, crew provisions, hardware and safety certifications, on-orbit operations and overall mission management.

NASA recently selected Axiom’s proposal to attach its space station modules to the ISS beginning in the second half of 2024, ultimately creating a new ‘Axiom Segment’ which will expand the station’s usable and habitable volume. When the ISS reaches its retirement date, the Axiom complex will detach and operate as a free-flying commercial space station.

By serving the market for immediate access to space while building the future platform for a global user base, Axiom is leading the development and settlement of low Earth orbit now and into the future.

About Axiom Space

Axiom Space was founded in 2016 with the aim of creating humanity’s home in space to ensure a prosperous future for everyone, everywhere. While building and launching the Axiom Segment of the International Space Station to one day form the world’s first commercial space station, Axiom provides access to the ISS today by conducting crewed missions for professional and private astronauts. More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com.

[ThePonjaX]

Well from the "Nothing to announce" on the crew dragon inflight abort test conference to now seems the private flight missions are starting to show.

[Jcc]

What rocket will launch the Axiom modules?

[jak Kennedy]

So it sounds like the commander will be a SpaceX employee as the quote "will transport a commander professionally trained by Axiom" doesn't explicitly say the commander will be an Axiom employee.

This is also great news for the ISS as it will place more Dragon 2's in the pipeline that NASA could potentially use if needed.

[soltasto]

What rocket will launch the Axiom modules?

Not announced yet. It will be launched in 2024 so I think we are about 2 years away from that. As in that time frame there could possibly be many new launch vehicles available (and existing ones with new longer fairings) they have good reasons to wait

[baldusi]

Falcon Heavy with long fairing would help solve a lot of mass/volume constraints.
Now, regarding this piece of news, I wonder if they will use refurbished Dragon Crew from NASA's missions. NASA wants brand new capsules, but Axiom might not and NASA might even like to use them as guinea pigs.

[TrevorMonty]

What rocket will launch the Axiom modules?

Not announced yet. It will be launched in 2024 so I think we are about 2 years away from that. As in that time frame there could possibly be many new launch vehicles available (and existing ones with new longer fairings) they have good reasons to wait

Modules will be 5m, use existing tooling from current ISS modules. Long term they may move to larger diameter modules once NG is flying. SS will also offer other size options.

Looks like space tourism is finally here to stay.

[ncb1397]

So it sounds like the commander will be a SpaceX employee as the quote "will transport a commander professionally trained by Axiom" doesn't explicitly say the commander will be an Axiom employee.

This is also great news for the ISS as it will place more Dragon 2's in the pipeline that NASA could potentially use if needed.

Does SpaceX have any former astronauts on the payroll? For Axiom, I know of 3: Michael Lopez-Alegria, Charles Bolden and Brent Jett. In all likelihood, it is going to be an Axiom employee. Would be pretty wild to have a former NASA administrator go up.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1235738585577541633

The NASA take on SpaceX’s private space tourism deals:

A NASA spokesperson said Axiom's tourism plan is in line with its "broad strategy to facilitate the commercialization" of space but the agency's priority is to get Crew Dragon ready to fly its own astronauts.

[Markstark]

Any information (or guesses) on how much each of the three private astronauts will be paying Axiom?

[billh]

Any information (or guesses) on how much each of the three private astronauts will be paying Axiom?

No less, I would imagine, than what NASA will be paying SpaceX per crew seat: about $55 million. Both companies will need to make a profit, and since they're going to ISS they are going to have to go through pretty much the same training, testing and paperwork of a regular NASA crew flight. I'm not including NASA mission training in that, but they still need to learn ISS operations and safety procedures, as well as Crew Dragon operations and safety procedures.

[Markstark]

Any information (or guesses) on how much each of the three private astronauts will be paying Axiom?

No less, I would imagine, than what NASA will be paying SpaceX per crew seat: about $55 million. Both companies will need to make a profit, and since they're going to ISS they are going to have to go through pretty much the same training, testing and paperwork of a regular NASA crew flight. I'm not including NASA mission training in that, but they still need to learn ISS operations and safety procedures, as well as Crew Dragon operations and safety procedures.

That seems like a good assumption. I wonder when we’ll know who the private astronauts are. Seems like a good option for Yusaku ahead of his Starship flight.

[ChrisC]

Does SpaceX have any former astronauts on the payroll?

Sort of.  From Garrett Reisman's Wikipedia page:

On March 4, 2011, SpaceX announced that Reisman would be joining the company as a senior engineer working on astronaut safety and mission assurance. He was later promoted to director of crew operations. On May 31, 2018, Reisman announced he would leave his position at SpaceX, but remain as a "consultant," stating he could not pass up a job to teach human spaceflight at the nearby University of Southern California.

Notwithstanding his statement there, I think he left because the first Crew Dragon flights were going to have only NASA astronauts on them (contrast with Starliner first flight which will have at least one Boeing employee on it).  Riesman departed about two months before the DM-2 crew was announced, right around the time the decision was likely being made internally as to whether to require a SpaceX employee on the spacecraft.

He's technically still on the payroll though.

(see WP article for references)

[Norm38]

Is there a section for Axiom and the ISS Axiom modules?  I searched and didn't see any.

[gongora]

Is there a section for Axiom and the ISS Axiom modules?  I searched and didn't see any.

Axiom Space LLC
NASA Selects First Commercial Destination Module for International Space Station

[Nehkara]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1268258651279708162

Axiom Space CEO Mike Suffredini said his company's private trip to the ISS with SpaceX is scheduled for October 2021, so Demo-2 helped "our customers know that it's going to be real."

Axiom plans to announce the 3 passengers in a month or so.

[Nehkara]

Jim Bridenstine mentioned during his 70+ minute appearance on the Off-Nominal podcast today that Tom Cruise will be flying on an Axiom flight.

https://offnominal.space/episodes/origins-jim-bridenstine

Timestamp:  14:10

[tonyq]

I'd guess this will be the guy most likely to command the first Axiom/Dragon 'tourist' flight!

https://twitter.com/Astro_Rex/status/1288561830248493056

He only left NASA a couple of days ago, which suggests the move is amicable, and carefully choreographed.

Maybe this is the first step to announcing the whole crew?

[Lars-J]

Is this the flight with Tom Cruise? If so we now know who will also fly with him - Director Doug Liman:

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1288941678749986817?s=21

(Doug Liman directed Tom Cruise in “Edge of Tomorrow”)

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/Free_Space/status/1306941899186593795