NASA Still Falls In Love With Axiom Space, Re-elected For Its Third Private Astronaut Mission To The ISS

NASA has selected Axiom Space for the third private astronaut mission to ISS Station. (photo: dock. nasa)

JAKARTA - NASA has selected Axiom Space for the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which is targeted to launch no earlier than November 2023.

NASA's commercial crew flights to the space station for government astronauts have paved the way for fully private missions into space such as Inspiration4 and Polaris as well as private astronaut missions to orbiting laboratories as we announced today, said director of commercial space at NASA Headquarters in Washington, Phil McAlister, quoted from NASA's official website, Thursday, March 16.

"We are starting to see the inclusion of space into our economic scope, and this will revolutionize the way people see, use, and feel space," he added.

The mission, dubbed Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), is planned to be launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, United States (US).

More specific dates will be announced later, as it will depend on other flights to the ISS, as well as planning activities in orbit.

"When NASA focuses on shifting back to the Moon and to Mars, we are committed to turning low-Earth orbit into a global space market, where access to space moves beyond ISS partners to countries, institutions, and individuals with new ideas, triggering an extraterrestrial evolving human economy," said Axiom Space CEO and president Michael Suffredini.

Ax-3 will dock for 14 days at the Earth-orbiting station. However, before Ax-3 launches, Ax-2 must head to the ISS first. It is also a crew mission operated by the company, and is expected to launch in the second quarter of 2023.

Ax-1 launched in April 2022 and docked on the ISS for 15 days. Furthermore, currently Ax-3 is still in its early stages, Axiom Space is required to apply for four crew members and two reserve crew members for the mission.

But NASA requires all private astronaut mission providers to select NASA astronauts who have previously flown as spacecraft commanders. Earlier, Ax-2 was led by retired NASA astronauts totaling Whitson.

Ax-3 crew members will train for their flights with NASA, international partners, and SpaceX, which Axiom Space has contracted as a launch provider for transport to and from the ISS.

As well as to get private astronauts used to systems, procedures, and emergency preparedness for the ISS as well as Dragon spacecraft.

Under this new deal, NASA can ask crew commanders to perform certain tasks or science experiments while on board.

Meanwhile, Axiom Space astronauts will be able to use NASA cargo and other orbital resources for daily use.