Axiom Mission 1 Crew Was Approved By NASA. It’s the First Private Crewed Mission to the ISS

The International Space Station is getting ready to host four astronauts who will be launched into space with the first private crewed mission on Feb. 28, 2022, under Axiom Mission 1.

NASA and its partners have approved the Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) Crew consisting of the astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria, Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe, and all of them cleared medical evaluations, according to a NASA statement.

The Multilateral Crew Operations Panel that decides who will fly to the ISS was also involved in the approval process. “Both are important steps with international partners as NASA and Axiom continue work for the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station,” said the space agency.

Meanwhile, NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos, Japanese space agency JAXA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency are the members of the panel.

For those who want to get to know the crew, Connor is the pilot while Lopez-Alegria is the mission commander. Pathy and Stibble are the two mission specialists. “We’ve made great progress on our 1st private astronaut mission with Axiom Space to the ISS,” said Kathy Lueders, who leads NASA’s human spaceflight program as the Associate Administrator of the Space Operations Mission Directorate.

“These are important steps! Launch is now targeted Feb. 28 based on station traffic planning. It’s exciting to see us maximizing the ISS and expanding access to low-Earth orbit!” she pointed out.

https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1472943735210233856

Four astronauts of Axiom Mission 1 will conduct 25 experiments

Spaceflights have moved from governments to the private sector in recent years. Emerging brands such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are just two of the examples of these changing trends. Launched Star Trek captain William Shatner into space, New Shepards built by Blue Origin is a reusable rocket for space tourism — a term we will hear more often in the near future.

The four astronauts of the Axiom Mission 1 will “focus on science, education, and outreach, conducting approximately 25 experiments while onboard the ISS,” according to Axiom Space. “Critical data from studies in human research, life and physical sciences, technology demonstrations, and Earth observation will expand the applicability of microgravity research to new sectors.”

Houston-based company is currently constructing the world’s first commercial space station. The station’s first section is scheduled for a late 2024 launch.

The year 2022 will presumably be the year of private spaceflights, and we will continue to hear news of exciting experimental results from the International Space Station orbiting at approximately 400 km above Earth.

To note, NASA announced that they would remain one of the partners aboard the ISS through 2030.