NASA and its worldwide companions authorised crew members for Axiom House’s first non-public astronaut mission to the Worldwide House Station. The flight, referred to as Axiom Mission 1 or Ax-1, is focused to launch Wednesday, March 30, from Launch Complicated 39A at NASA’s Kennedy House Middle in Florida on a flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The Ax-1 crew will fly on Crew Dragon Endeavour to and from the house station. After 10 days in orbit, the Ax-1 crew will splash down off the coast of Florida.
Axiom House astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe are prime crew members of the Ax-1 mission. López-Alegría, who was born in Spain, raised in California, and a former NASA astronaut, will function the mission commander. Connor, of Dayton, Ohio, will function pilot. Pathy, from Canada, and Stibbe, from Israel, can be mission specialists. The quartet is scheduled to spend eight days aboard the orbiting laboratory conducting science, training, and business actions earlier than their return to Earth.
Axiom Mission 1 astronauts, Larry Connor, left, Michael López-Alegría, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe, proper. The astronauts cleared medical evaluations and are authorised by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel. Credit score: Axiom House
“This represents one other vital milestone in our efforts to create a low-Earth orbit financial system,” stated Phil McAlister, director of economic spaceflight at NASA. “I want these Axiom crew members protected travels, and I hope they discover their time in house productive and satisfying.”
Proposed mission actions are nonetheless underneath evaluation and can be authorised previous to flight. Axiom beforehand revealed a microgravity analysis portfolio the Ax-1 crew intends to undertake in orbit in partnership with a wide range of organizations on Earth. This analysis is sponsored by the ISS U.S. Nationwide Laboratory.
“The purpose for the Ax-1 crew is to set a typical for all future non-public astronaut missions by way of our preparation and professionalism,” López-Alegría stated. “Because the commander, I'm happy with the work these crew members have put in to be able to conduct significant work on the Worldwide House Station and glad to see them meet the requirements required of all astronauts flying to station since Expedition 1. Ax-1 is targeted on an enormous quantity of science and outreach actions, and we glance ahead now to finalizing that flight program.”
On this illustration, a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft approaches the Worldwide House Station for docking. The Ax-1 crew will fly on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour. Credit score: NASA/SpaceX
The Ax-1 crew has been coaching at NASA’s Johnson House Middle in Houston and different NASA services since August 2021 to familiarize themselves with station programs, scientific services, and emergency procedures. The crew additionally has been coaching with NASA’s house station worldwide companions at ESA (European House Company), in addition to with launch contractor SpaceX at its services in Hawthorne, California, and at different areas in preparation for the mission.
NASA and Axiom mission operations groups started joint simulations in December for familiarization with the dynamic phases of the non-public astronauts’ flight to and from the house station. Joint simulations will proceed in preparation for launch.
NASA continues to make fast progress in its efforts to construct a strong low-Earth orbit financial system. The company just lately introduced its choice of Axiom House to start negotiations for the second non-public astronaut mission. NASA additionally just lately introduced its choice of firms to develop designs of house stations and different business locations in low-Earth orbit.
Prior to those new awards, NASA chosen Axiom House in January 2020 to design and develop business modules to connect to the station. Axiom just lately accomplished the preliminary design evaluation of two modules in addition to the crucial design evaluation of the modules’ main construction with NASA participation. Flight hardware for the primary Axiom module is presently present process fabrication.
For greater than 21 years, NASA has supported a steady U.S. human presence in low-Earth orbit aboard the house station. The company’s purpose is to allow a robust, business market in low-Earth orbit with non-public business the place NASA is certainly one of many purchasers. This technique will present companies the federal government wants at a decrease value, enabling the company to give attention to its Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars whereas persevering with to make use of low-Earth orbit as a coaching and proving floor for these deep house missions.
Discover out concerning the Ax-1 mission at: https://www.axiomspace.com/ax1
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