{"id":320486,"date":"2023-03-14T18:50:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T22:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?post_type=migration&p=320486"},"modified":"2023-09-27T20:11:05","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T00:11:05","slug":"nasa-selects-axiom-space-for-third-private-astronaut-station-mission","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-selects-axiom-space-for-third-private-astronaut-station-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Selects Axiom Space for Third Private Astronaut Station Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"553\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg?w=985\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour crew ship is pictured. Endeavour carried four Axiom Mission 1 astronauts to the International Space Station for several days of research, education, and commercial activities.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg?resize=300,168 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg?resize=768,431 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg?resize=600,337 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg?resize=900,505 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour crew ship is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing international docking adapter. Endeavour carried four Axiom Mission 1 astronauts, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, Pilot Larry Connor, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy, to the International Space Station for several days of research, education, and commercial activities.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Credits: NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>NASA and Axiom Space have signed a mission order for the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch no earlier than November 2023 from the agency\u2019s NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe diversity of currently available commercial orbital human spaceflight opportunities is truly astounding. NASA\u2019s commercial crew flights to the space station for our government astronauts paved the way for fully private missions to space like Inspiration4 and Polaris as well as private astronaut missions to the orbiting laboratory like the one we are announcing today,\u201d said Phil McAlister, director of commercial space at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cWe are starting to see the incorporation of space into our economic sphere, and it is going to revolutionize the way people see, use, and experience space.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) is expected to spend 14 days docked to the space station. A specific launch date is dependent on spacecraft traffic to the space station and in-orbit activity planning and constraints. NASA and Axiom Space mission planners will coordinate in-orbit activities for the private astronauts to conduct in coordination with space station crew members and flight controllers on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAxiom Space\u2019s selection to lead the next private astronaut mission to the International Space Station enables us to continue expanding access to nations, academia, commercial entities, and emerging industries to research, test, and demonstrate new technologies in microgravity,\u201d said Michael Suffredini, CEO and president of Axiom Space. \u201cAs NASA\u2019s focus shifts back to the Moon and on to Mars, we are committed to transforming low-Earth orbit into a global space marketplace, where access to space moves beyond the partners of the space station to nations, institutions and individuals with new ideas fueling a thriving human economy beyond Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Axiom Space will submit four proposed crew members and two back up crew for the Ax-3 mission to the station\u2019s Multilateral Crew Operations Panel for review. NASA is requiring all private astronaut mission providers to select a previously flown NASA astronaut as the spacecraft commander. Following review and approval from NASA and its international partners, the prime crew members for the mission will be named.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Ax-3 crew members will train for their flight with NASA, international partners, and SpaceX, which Axiom Space has contracted as launch provider for transportation to and from the space station and to familiarize the private astronauts with systems, procedures, and emergency preparedness for the space station and the Dragon spacecraft. Based on current mission planning, team crew training is scheduled to begin this spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Axiom Space is obtaining NASA services to conduct the mission via both the mission specific order and Reimbursable Space Act Agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through the mission specific order, Axiom Space is obtaining services from NASA such as crew supplies, cargo delivery to space, storage, and other in-orbit resources for daily use. The order also accommodates up to an additional contingency week aboard the space station. This mission is subject to NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/leo-economy\/updates-private-astronaut-mission-pricing-policy\/\">pricing policy<\/a> for the services the agency is providing to Axiom Space for in-orbit activities that are above space station baseline capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The order also identifies capabilities NASA may obtain from Axiom Space, including the return of scientific samples that must be kept cold in transit to and from Earth, return cargo capability, and the capability to use the private astronaut mission commander\u2019s time during the docked mission to complete NASA science or perform tasks for NASA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through Reimbursable Space Act Agreements, Axiom Space will reimburse NASA for services to enable the mission, such as training for crew members and use of facilities at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston and Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In addition, SpaceX has a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement with Kennedy for launch services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA made the selection for the third private astronaut mission from proposals received in response to its September 2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/leo-economy\/nasa-wants-to-open-space-to-more-people-supports-private-missions\/\">NASA Research Announcement<\/a> and evaluated the mission proposals based on the provider\u2019s ability to execute a mission successfully, NASA\u2019s ability to support the proposed mission, and the mission\u2019s contribution to the agency\u2019s goal of low-Earth orbit commercialization. NASA also solicited proposals for a fourth private astronaut mission opportunity in 2024 and will announce the mission after successful completion of negotiations results in an award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more than 22 years, NASA has supported a continuous U.S. human presence in low-Earth orbit. The agency\u2019s goal is a low-Earth orbit marketplace where NASA is one of many customers, and the private sector leads the way. This strategy will provide services the government needs at a lower cost, enabling the agency to focus on its Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars while continuing to use low-Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about how NASA is fostering a robust commercial low-Earth orbit economy at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/leo-economy\"><strong>https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/leo-economy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">-end-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stephanie Schierholz \/ Josh Finch<br>Headquarters, Washington<br>202-358-1100<br><a href=\"mailto:stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov\">stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ <a href=\"mailto:joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov\">joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gary Jordan<br>Johnson Space Center, Houston<br>281-483-5111<br><a href=\"mailto:gary.j.jordan@nasa.gov\">gary.j.jordan@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alexis DeJarnette<br>Axiom Space<br>850-368-9446<br><a href=\"mailto:alexis@axiomspace.com\">alexis@axiomspace.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<p>Stephanie Schierholz \/ Josh Finch<br \/>\nHeadquarters, Washington<br \/>\n202-358-1100<br \/><a href=\"mailto:stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov\">stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ <a href=\"mailto:joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov\">joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov<\/a><br \/>\nGary Jordan<br \/>\nJohnson Space Center, Houston<br \/>\n281-483-5111<br \/><a href=\"mailto:gary.j.jordan@nasa.gov\">gary.j.jordan@nasa.gov<\/a><br \/>\nAlexis DeJarnette<br \/>\nAxiom Space<br \/>\n850-368-9446<br \/><a href=\"mailto:alexis@axiomspace.com\">alexis@axiomspace.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NASA and Axiom Space have signed a mission order for the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch no earlier than November 2023 from the agency\u2019s NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. \u201cThe diversity of currently available commercial orbital human spaceflight opportunities is truly astounding. NASA\u2019s commercial crew flights to [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":497,"featured_media":321974,"template":"","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"23-028","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"RELEASE","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[]},"categories":[2735,2801,8374,2656,2861,12706,3220],"news-tags":[12375],"internal-terms":[12745,9507,11399,11270,3995,12725,3915,8611],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA Selects Axiom Space for Third Private Astronaut Station Mission","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-selects-axiom-space-for-third-private-astronaut-station-mission\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-selects-axiom-space-for-third-private-astronaut-station-mission\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Roxana Bardan"}],"creator":["Roxana Bardan"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Humans in Space","Commercial Space","Private Astronaut Missions","International Space Station (ISS)","Expedition 68","Johnson Space Center","Low Earth Orbit Economy"],"dateCreated":"2023-03-14T22:50:00Z","datePublished":"2023-03-14T22:50:00Z","dateModified":"2023-09-28T00:11:05Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA Selects Axiom Space for Third Private Astronaut Station Mission\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-selects-axiom-space-for-third-private-astronaut-station-mission\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-03-14T22:50:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Humans in Space,Commercial Space,Private Astronaut Missions,International Space Station (ISS),Expedition 68,Johnson Space Center,Low Earth Orbit Economy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Roxana Bardan\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":5,"featured_image":{"id":321974,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/axiom_space.jpg","title":"axiom_space","alt":"The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour crew ship is pictured. Endeavour carried four Axiom Mission 1 astronauts to the International Space Station for several days of research, education, and commercial activities.","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/320486"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/497"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/320486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":483246,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/320486\/revisions\/483246"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/321974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320486"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=320486"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=320486"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=320486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}