NASA has granted Axiom Space, a Houston-based start-up, a contract for its fifth commercial mission to the International Space Station (ISS) by 2027. This comes as part of NASA’s strategy to promote commercial spaceflight and to ensure that there is continuous U.S. presence on the ISS.
Axiom Space aims to use these missions to build and sustain a thriving ecosystem in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), where the ISS is located. The company’s vision is to create a future where people can work, learn, and play in space. The contract for the fifth mission, known as Axiom Mission 5 (Ax-5), is valued at approximately $420 million.
The first of these missions, Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), is set to take place no earlier than January 2022. The crew for this mission has already been announced and includes former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy, American entrepreneur Larry Connor, and Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe.
The subsequent Axiom missions, Ax-2, Ax-3, and Ax-4, are scheduled for launch in approximately six-month intervals after Ax-1. These missions will be carried out using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, which has already been used for multiple crewed flights to the ISS.
The missions will not only provide transportation to and from the ISS, but also provisions for the crew, as well as limited cargo upmass and downmass capabilities. The crew members will also be able to conduct research that could not be accomplished by the astronaut crews alone.
NASA’s partnership with Axiom Space is part of the agency’s efforts to open up the ISS to more commercial activities and foster a robust economy in space. This initiative is being pursued under NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Development program.
This program aims to stimulate demand for human spaceflight in LEO, expand the supply of commercial human spaceflight services, and set the stage for NASA to become one of many customers in the LEO economy. It’s part of NASA’s broader strategy to ensure that the U.S. maintains a continuous human presence in space, and to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
The awarding of the fifth mission to Axiom Space represents a significant milestone in this strategy. It underscores the growing role of commercial companies in human spaceflight and the increasing opportunities for research, innovation, and economic activity in space.