And certain areas will remain off-limits, such as the air lock that astronauts use to conduct spacewalks, according to Hassmann. Once on board, they'll rely on existing crew to show them the ropes, including the kitchen and bathroom. The AX-2 crew will work alongside the professional astronauts on the space station, though they will operate under different schedules. It's an effort supported by NASA, which aims to bolster private sector participation closer to home so the agency can focus on investing in deep-space exploration. Axiom is one of several US companies gunning to create a new, privately owned space station. market is key, and we're pursuing that actively."Īxiom leadership envisions private spaceflight will continue even after the space station is retired, which NASA anticipates will happen in 2030. But it's become clear to us that the government. it wasn't clear to us what the balance would be between private individuals and government astronauts since nothing like this had ever been done before. "Government astronauts are indeed a key piece of our business plan," he said. During a prelaunch news conference, Derek Hassmann, chief of mission integration and operations at Axiom Space, said his company expects to see more customers sponsored by governments similar to the AX-2 passengers from Saudi Arabia. The company's first mission, AX-1, launched in April 2022 and marked the first time private citizens traveled to the space station from US soil.Īxiom's goal is to make these missions routine, offering more opportunities for people who are not professional astronauts to experience spaceflight. A company called Space Adventures brokered several such missions to the space station in the early 2000s, booking rides for wealthy thrill seekers on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.Īxiom brought that business model to the United States, partnering with SpaceX to establish a framework for getting an array of customers to the space station. It isn't the first time private citizens have paid their way to space.
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