Axiom Space, a commercial aerospace company in Houston, Texas, plans to introduce people to space for the first time on Wednesday (April 6).
The company’s first space mission, called the Ax-1, passed its flight readiness review on March 25. The Axiom Space mission, which will deploy a team of spacecraft at the International Space Station, is scheduled to launch on April 6 after a brief delay. to perform a rigorous test of NASA’s Artemis 1 moon rocket at a nearby site.
Ax-1 will launch from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where SpaceX launched its astronaut missions for NASA aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. As is standard for all SpaceX missions, the Ax-1 will begin orbit with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, complete with a reusable front panel. Departure is scheduled for 12:05 pm EDT (1605 GMT). You can watch the launch courtesy of Axiom Space, SpaceX and NASA via Space.com’s Ax-1 launch guide.
Live updates: The Ax-1 personal mission at the airport
Images: The first public tours
Those who joined the mission, apart from the commander of Ax-1, retired NASA astronaut and Axiom vice president for professional development Michael López-Alegría, paid for their seats. Although it is a personal missionary, Ax-1 presents about 100 hours of research on behalf of many organizations.
“We’re opening up a new era in human aviation,” López-Alegría said said in a Twitter post on Friday (April 1). “We’re taking the first step in a future platform design that will bring work, living, and space exploration to a wider and more populous community.”
Axiom plans to launch a module that will be integrated into the database by 2024, one step towards creating a commercial database.
Here are the four people expected to fly the 10-day Ax-1 mission, which will last eight days on the ISS:
Michael López-Alegría, the pilot for Ax-1, was the first NASA pilot on three spacecraft and the pilot of the ISS Expedition 14 on its fourth, when it flew over a Russian Soyuz. As of this writing, López-Alegría holds the record for most of the walks taken, 10, and the time collected in a living room: 67 hours and 40 hours. minute. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2020 and has served on aerospace advisory boards.
“Leaving NASA for 10 years and sharing this knowledge with friends and new colleagues has given me a lot of appreciation for how unique it is,” López-Alegría said. wrote on Twitter. “Being able to see again once is like waking up and then in a dream.”
Larry Connor, the pilot for Ax-1, has flown 16 different aircraft including fighter jets. Connor was used to flying helicopters and racing cars. He has won five aerobatic competitions and participated in several US National Aerobatic Championships. He runs the real estate business The Connor Group, which focuses on the hospitality community. Connor’s first ventures included founding The Connor Group Kids & Community Partners, which was created with the aim of addressing generational poverty.
“I think I’ll talk for all of us to understand that this civilian missionary is a great honor and a great time,” Connor told a conference on Friday. “But with that comes the big responsibility – that is, to carry out the mission successfully.”
For Pathy, Technical staff for Ax-1, is the CEO and chairman of MARVIK’s permanent investment company of Montreal, Canada. It also chairs the board of Stingray Group Inc., a music, media and technology company. Pathy is on the board of the Pathy Family Foundation, among other charitable organizations such as Montreal Children’s Hospital, whose research work is in orbit.
Pathy says she has an amazing experience so far. “Life has changed for me, and we haven’t started now, so … I’m really excited about what’s to come,” he told a conference call Friday.
Eytan Stibbe, Technology company for Ax-1, is the founding partner of the Vital Capital impact investment fund, among other businesses. He is a former pilot for the Israel Air Force (IAF) and a flight instructor at the Israel Air Force Flight Academy. Stibbe was close friends with his fellow pilot and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who died during the 2003 Columbia plane crash. Stibbe and the Ramon family also founded Ramon. Foundation; Stibbe will perform experiments for the field in orbit.
“Being part of this independent team shows me I don’t have a dream before coming,” Stibbe told a conference on Friday. “That’s the motto of my mission in the air.”
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
