The first-ever private mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will be taking off soon. Planned and organised by the private space company Axiom Space, this mission will bring a collection of researchers into space to conduct key studies and experiments in the special circumstances space provides. Axiom-1 (the name given to this first mission) has received permission from NASA and has secured a Dragon spacecraft from SpaceX.
This is obviously a big event, marking the start of commercial space travel, but when will it happen, who will be taken on the flight and what is their purpose on-board? We have answered these questions and more below.
When will the flight take place?
The flight was originally planned for the end of 2021 but has now seen a few delays. It is now set to launch on 31 March this year. Most of these delays were due to additional preparations that were needed as well as space station traffic management.
The mission is expected to be 10 days long, giving the team enough time to perform their experiments and research on the ISS.
Who will be on the flight?
The crew that will be taken on this flight has now been announced. Originally, Tom Cruise and Doug Liman were suggested as part of a plan to film in space. However, the full crew now includes Michael López-Alegría as the Spacecraft commander, Larry Connor as the Pilot and Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe as Mission Specialists.
While this will be the fifth spaceflight for Michael López-Alegría, for the other three members of the crew this will be their first flights. Michael is a former NASA pilot and now the vice president for Axiom Space. Connor, Pathy and Stibbe are all investors and philanthropists.
Read more about the ISS:
- New strains of bacteria found on the International Space Station
- How can I spot the International Space Station?
- NASA’s Lunar Gateway: The plans for a permanent space station that will orbit the Moon
!["©]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2022/01/Axiom-Space-2-e5a8372-e1643363076448.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C349" "\"Axiom")
What is the purpose of the Axiom-1 flight?
Axiom Space is a company that is focusing on making space travel more commercially available. With the Axiom-1 flight, this will be the first private mission to the International Space Station. By making space travel more commercially viable, Axiom Space is hoping to improve our understanding of space and the human body by bringing researchers into space.
While on the ISS, the crew members won’t just be taking in the expansive views, they will be conducting research into science, education and outreach. Axiom claims this will include 100 hours of human-tended research across approximately 25 different experiments.
Each passenger will be undertaking a different key research area:
Larry Connor:
Connor’s key area of research will be around space travel’s impact on senescent cells (cells that have irreversibly stopped dividing but haven’t died) and heart health. These kind of cells have been linked to multiple age-related diseases. On Earth, Connor’s research tends to focus on pre and post-mission MRIs to study the effects of spaceflight environments on spinal and brain tissue.
Mark Pathy:
Pathy will be working in Partnership with six Canadian universities and two tech startups during his time on the ISS. This will include research into two-way holoportation – a mixed reality app for special lenses that has two-way 3D projections as a hologram to communicate.
He will also conduct observations of Earth, research Spaceflight-Associated Neruo-Ocular Syndrome (a change in visual sharpness experienced by many astronauts) and other projects with different universities.
Eytan Stibbe:
Stibbe will be joining the Axion-1 crew on behalf of the Ramon Foundation and in collaboration with the Israel Space Agency. Axiom has stated that during his time in space, he will be performing experiments and conducting educational activities to connect the younger generation in Israel. There is slightly less detail around the exact experiments that Stibbe will be conducting compared to his fellow researchers.
Which organisation is operating this launch?
While the flight is being organised by the private space company Axiom Space, it will be done using a SpaceX Dragon 2 – a semi-reusable spacecraft. In fact, the two companies – SpaceX and Axiom Space – have now signed a deal for three launches: Axiom-1, 2 and 3.
The Dragon spacecraft has already flown three human missions to the ISS. Those were all NASA missions carrying government astronauts. This time, it is the first private crew. The mission has received permission from NASA, along with further missions planned by Axiom and SpaceX.
While the space shuttle will be provided by SpaceX, Axiom Space will be handling training, provisions, operational management and most of the general process of the mission.
!["©]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2022/01/Axiom-Space-3-ae96a70-e1643363489632.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C349" "\"Axiom")
Will there be another Axiom launch?
Axiom-1 hasn’t even launched yet but Axiom Space has already announced a second launch. While there is no official date yet, Ax-2 already has a commander and pilot lined up. Commanding the operation is Peggy Whitson – a retired astronaut who has completed three previous trips to space. Along with being the first female commander of the ISS, she also holds the American record for the most time in space.
She will be joined by John Shoffner as the Pilot of Ax-2. Unlike Whitson, Shoffner is not an astronaut and doesn’t have space training. He is an American racing driver, investor and pilot. He will receive training in ISS systems but also in specialised spacecraft operations.
While at the ISS, the two will be studying single-cell genomics (the study of individuality in cells, looking at new cells and how they differ) in collaboration with a California based Genomics company.
“To experience astronaut training teamed with Peggy is an honour. I am also excited about our upcoming work with 10x Genomics in this first step towards making their single-cell technologies available to researchers in a microgravity environment.” said Shoffner.
“I look forward to the process of testing and validating this technology for future groundbreaking work in low-Earth orbit.”
Both Whitson and Shoffner are also training as backup pilots for Ax-1 if a replacement is needed.
Read more about space:
- Scientists taught a goldfish to drive a car, and the research could one day help astronauts in space
- NASA’s Lunar Gateway: The plans for a permanent space station that will orbit the Moon
- James Webb Space Telescope: everything you need to know about the Hubble successor