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Artykuły o tematyce astronautycznej => Artykuły astronautyczne => Wątek zaczęty przez: Orionid w Maja 21, 2020, 06:43

Tytuł: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Maja 21, 2020, 06:43

NASA working with Tom Cruise to film movie on the International Space Station
May 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

(https://mk0spaceflightnoa02a.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cruise_topgun.jpg)
Tom Cruise in “Top Gun: Maverick.” Credit: Paramount Pictures

NASA said Tuesday it is working with Tom Cruise to film a movie on the International Space Station, but details on the arrangements are scarce.

The news that Cruise was in talks with to shoot an action-adventure film on the space station was first reported Monday by Deadline (https://deadline.com/2020/05/tom-cruise-movie-shot-in-outer-space-elon-musk-spacex-unprecedented-in-hollywood-1202925849/), which said the actor is working with SpaceX on the project.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted Tuesday that the agency is “excited to work Tom Cruise on a film aboard the space station. We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make NASA’s ambitious plans a reality.”

Cruise, the 57-year-old star of Top Gun and the Mission: Impossible film franchise, has performed daring stunts before. NASA did not confirm Tuesday whether Cruise would himself fly to the space station as part of the film.

SpaceX has not confirmed its role in the film project, but Cruise could fly to the space station on the company’s Crew Dragon spaceship. The Crew Dragon is designed to carry up to four people to and from low Earth orbit, potentially room enough for Cruise, a small film crew and a professional astronaut in command.

Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, tweeted Tuesday: “Should be a lot of fun!”

NASA last year said it would enable private astronauts to spend up to 30 days on the International Space Station. The paying passengers would fly to the station on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft or Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crew capsule, the two human-rated spaceships developed by U.S. industry in partnership with NASA.

Private companies would pay for access to the orbiting research outpost, and the commercial companies would be responsible for funding the flight’s launch and trip to the space station.

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The International Space Station viewed in 2018 from a departing Soyuz spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Roscosmos

Earlier this year, the space tourism company Space Adventures — which arranged the flight of Garriott and other wealthy passengers to the station on Russian spacecraft — announced an agreement with SpaceX to fly paying passengers on a Crew Dragon spacecraft without going to the space station. Instead, the Crew Dragon contracted by Space Adventures will fly on its own in Earth orbit, reaching altitudes hundreds of miles above the space station to provide passengers a more expansive view of Earth.

Axiom Space said in March (https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/05/axiom-strikes-deal-with-spacex-to-ferry-private-astronauts-to-space-station/) that it signed a contract with SpaceX to ferry a professional astronaut and three paying passengers to the International Space Station as soon as next year.

Deadline reported Monday that the film project is “real” but in the “early stages” of development. No studio is attached yet to the film, Deadline reported.

Cruise narrated the 2002 IMAX documentary film Space Station 3D, which was filmed by astronauts during the assembly of the International Space Station. A short science fiction film named Apogee of Fear was filmed on the space station in 2008 by Richard Garriott, who paid for his trip to orbit on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

But celebrity spaceflights and past plans for filmmaking projects in orbit have faltered before reaching the launch pad.

Singer Lance Bass of NSYNC began training to fly on a Soyuz mission to the space station in 2002, but his sponsorships fell through. A Russian actor hoped to fly to the Russian space station Mir in 2000, but the project collapsed due to lack of funds (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/679935.stm).

Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/05/05/nasa-is-working-with-actor-tom-cruise-to-film-a-movie-on-the-international-space-station/

Tytuł: Odp: [SFN] NASA working with Tom Cruise to film movie on the ISS
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Czerwca 12, 2020, 22:10

Foust Forward | Tom Cruise, the ISS, and the challenges of making movies in space
by Jeff Foust — May 25, 2020 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cruise2-879x485.png)
Tom Cruise played an astronaut in the 2013 Universal Pictures film, Oblivion. Credit: NBC Universal.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has frequently discussed how the agency could be a beacon of hope during the coronavirus pandemic. He argued that missions like the upcoming SpaceX Demo-2 commercial crew test flight and launch of the Mars 2020 rover could uplift the public’s spirits and show what the nation was capable of doing during an otherwise dark chapter.

But those missions might get upstaged by Tom Cruise. The entertainment publication Deadline first reported May 4 that the superstar was in talks with both NASA and SpaceX to film an action adventure movie on the International Space Station. The article suggested that Cruise, known for doing many of his own stunts, would go to the station.

Bridenstine appeared to confirm that in a tweet the next day, writing that “NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station!” The statement was a little ambiguous, though, leaving open the possibility that Cruise may stay on terra firma during the film’s production, just as he did when he narrated a 2002 IMAX documentary about the station.

The idea of producing a feature film or television show in space has been around for decades. The cash-strapped Russian space program of the post-Soviet era was interested in any project that could generate hard currency, which led to filming of commercials on Mir and the ISS for companies ranging from Radio Shack to an Israeli milk producer.

More ambitious projects, though, foundered. A Russian director, Yuri Kara, sought to fly two actors to Mir for what was described as a “sci-fi romance” film in the 1990s but failed to secure the funding. At the peak of his fame from the Survivor reality TV show, Mark Burnett proposed Destination: Mir, a reality show where the winner went to Mir, but the station crashed to Earth before the show could launch. And director James Cameron lobbied for years to fly to the ISS for a documentary but has remained grounded.

From a technical and legal standpoint, filming a movie on the ISS is now more feasible than ever. Commercial crew vehicles like Crew Dragon and Starliner offer improved access to the station, while Axiom Space is planning a commercial module for the ISS that could offer additional volume to accommodate filmmaking. NASA now has a commercial use policy for the ISS along with a price list for the use of space station resources.

The real challenge is, like so many other space-related ventures, closing the business case. A seat on a commercial crew vehicle is likely to cost at least $50 million, with a movie requiring at least two or three seats (say, two actors and a director/camera operator.) That’s as much as $150 million before accounting for the other costs of filming in space, as well as salaries, marketing and other expenses. By comparison, Cruise’s latest Mission: Impossible film, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, cost $178 million.

Moreover, you don’t need to go to space to make a convincing space film. While Gravity’s depiction of an orbital debris cascade wiping out everything in low Earth orbit was hyperbolic, much of the rest of the movie looked quite realistic. You didn’t need much suspension of disbelief to think that Sandra Bullock really was floating inside the space station, rather than a soundstage. And it cost just $100 million.

With the movie industry struggling right now — productions halted, new releases postponed and theaters closed — its appetite for an extremely expensive new project, even with a star like Cruise attached and the unique aspect of filming in space, might be limited. The Deadline article noted no studio had yet signed onto the project.

If anyone can make this work, it’s Cruise. In a 2018 interview with the magazine Empire, Cameron said he and Cruise discussed back in 2000 flying together on a Soyuz mission to the ISS for a film project, although the idea never got far. But in the end, it may be a mission even Ethan Hunt can’t accept.

Source: https://spacenews.com/foust-forward-tom-cruise-the-iss-and-the-challenges-of-making-movies-in-space/

Tytuł: Odp: [SFN] NASA working with Tom Cruise to film movie on the ISS
Wiadomość wysłana przez: maackn w Września 27, 2020, 20:26

Czyżby termin został już ustalony?
https://twitter.com/ShuttleAlmanac/status/1307148793633075200/photo/1

Tytuł: Odp: [SFN] Axiom finalizing agreements for private astronaut mission
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Września 28, 2020, 06:17

Axiom finalizing agreements for private astronaut mission to space station (1)
September 23, 2020 Stephen Clark

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/49960375231_8692adf2b8_k.jpg)
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft approaches the International Space Station on May 31 with astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on-board. Credit: NASA

The chief executive of Axiom Space says agreements with NASA, SpaceX, and fare-paying passengers should be finalized in the coming weeks for the launch of the first all-private crew to the International Space Station in October 2021, and former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria is set to command the mission.

The roughly 10-day flight will be the first mission into Earth orbit to carry only private astronauts, without crew members from a government space agency. Axiom, a Houston-based company, announced the privately-funded mission (https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/05/axiom-strikes-deal-with-spacex-to-ferry-private-astronauts-to-space-station/) in March.

Axiom said then that the mission would include a professional astronaut and three paying passengers flying on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station in the second half of 2021.

Mike Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space, said last week the Axiom and its partners aim to complete contracts in the coming weeks to enable the private mission to launch in October 2021.

“This really is going to be the first commercial flight (with private astronauts), so NASA is working with us to work through all of the unique aspects of that,” Suffredini said in an interview last week with Spaceflight Now. “It’s a short duration flight. So it’ll be relatively easy to implement.

“I say easy, but nothing’s easy in spaceflight,” Suffredini said. “But it’s as simple of a mission as we could be doing, which makes it good for all us. We’ve sorted out almost all the big details. I have to have a contract with NASA, where they affirm our ability to go fly, what the date is, what the requirements they want to levy on us officially are. So we’ve got to get the contract done.

“We’ve got to sign the contracts with our three customers, which we largely already have in place, and sign an update to the SpaceX contract,” Suffredini said. “We want to do that all together. We’re aiming for the end of September, but I’m guessing if we get it done before the end of October closes out, that’ll be a success.”

Suffredini managed the International Space Station program at NASA from 2005 to 2015, when he moved to the private sector. He co-founded Axiom Space with Houston entrepreneur Kam Ghaffarian to organize commercial flights to the International Space Station, and eventually develop a new commercial space station in low Earth orbit.

Officials have identified possible clients for the private space missions, including wealthy adventurers, filmmakers, researchers, and astronauts from nations with nascent space programs.

Suffredini declined to discuss the identities of the private astronauts slated to fly on Axiom’s first commercial mission, designated AX-1. The AX-1 mission will be the first in a series of missions Axiom is scheduling to go to the International Space Station.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed in June that Axiom is working with Tom Cruise on a project to film a movie on the space station.

“Our customers are private astronauts on these flights, but we don’t fly any private astronauts without a professional astronaut,” Suffredini said. “So the flight will have four seats. We’ll have three customers and an Axiom professional astronaut.”

Shuttle and station veteran to command Axiom’s first private astronaut flight

Veteran NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, who retired from the space agency in 2012, will accompany the private passengers on the AX-1 mission, Suffredini said.

Lopez-Alegria, 62, flew on three space shuttle missions in 1995, 2000 and 2002. He launched on a Russian Soyuz spcaecraft in 2006 and commanded the seven-month Expedition 14 mission on the International Space Station. Lopez-Alegria has logged more than 257 days in space on four flights.

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Former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria trains in 2006 inside a mock-up of the International Space Station’s Zvezda module in Star City, Russia. Credit: NASA

After retiring from the U.S. Navy in 2008 and leaving NASA in 2012, Lopez-Alegria, known as Mike L-A, became president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, an industry advocacy group. He’s now a consultant for Axiom, Suffredini said.

“Mike L-A is our commander for our first flight,” Suffredini said.

Lopez-Alegria has helped Axiom recruit prospective customers, and answer their questions about flying in space.

“It’s a very personal element to talk to various individuals who want to go fly,” Suffredini said of Lopez-Alegria’s role with Axiom to date. “It’s a huge experience. It’s a very big expense. It’s really about helping them understand what it’s really like, and helping them get comfortable. The way we do it is really a safe approach … We’re experienced.

“We know what it takes, and know what to expect,” Suffredini said. “That happens over a number of conversations. Mike’s been really instrumental over the past few years helping us be able to do that.”

Once the contracts for the AX-1 mission are in place, Lopez-Alegria will become a full-time Axiom employee, according to Suffredini.

Cruise plans to fly to the space station with director Doug Liman, and a third person will fill the remaining Crew Dragon seat, sources told Spaceflight Now. Officials have not publicly confirmed which Axiom mission Cruise will fly on.

“We’re happy to announce whenever our customers want it,” Suffredini said. “But what we’re finding out is a lot of our customers really aren’t interested in us talking about them too much, so we may not announce the individuals when we announce the flight.”

In some cases, passengers may not want to be publicly identified until closer to their launch date, Suffredini said.

The often-quoted commercial price to fly to the space station and back on a Crew Dragon spacecraft is roughly $50 million. Suffredini confirmed that price is “in the right ballpark.”

The private astronauts on the AX-1 mission will spend about eight days on the International Space Station, and around 10 days total in orbit, including the transit time between launch and docking, and from undocking until splashdown.

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File photo of Mike Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space. Credit: NASA

Astronauts flew into space for the first time on the Crew Dragon spacecraft in May. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken launched May 30 on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and they reached the space station May 31.

The astronauts completed their 64-day test flight Aug. 2 with a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, verifying the privately-owned Crew Dragon spacecraft can safely ferry people to and from the space station. The demonstration flight marked the first launch of astronauts into orbit from U.S. soil since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011.

The successful test flight sets the stage for the first operational Crew Dragon flight scheduled for launch Oct. 23 with three NASA crew members and a Japanese astronaut.

NASA’s Crew-1 mission launching in October will span around six months. The Crew-2 mission, another NASA flight with the Crew Dragon capsule, is scheduled for launch next April. NASA has purchased at least six Dragon crew rotation missions through 2024, and the Dragon flights will eventually be supplemented with six operational crew rotation missions using Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, once it begins flying astronauts.

The AX-1 flight set for liftoff in October with private astronauts will launch amid other regularly-scheduled Dragon missions with long-term space station crews.

While astronauts train more than a year to prepare for six-month expeditions on the space station, the private astronauts Axiom plans to fly for a week-and-a-half will undergo about 15 weeks of training, Suffredini said.

Axiom’s customers will spend about half of that time training in Southern California at SpaceX, which provides the Crew Dragon spacecraft, Falcon 9 launch vehicle, spacesuits, and recovery teams to greet the astronauts after their return to Earth. The other half of the training will primarily occur at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to familiarize the passengers with the space station itself, Suffredini said.

Axiom expects to soon sign final contracts for the AX-1 mission

One of the topics Axiom is negotiating with NASA involves how much insight the space agency will have into the private astronaut mission. While the Axiom missions will be managed by commercial companies, the AX-1 flight will fly with a reusable Crew Dragon spacecraft that will carry NASA astronauts on other missions.

“There’s a certain amount of insight (NASA) would like on our flight, on a commercial flight,” Suffredini said Friday. “So that is one aspect of that process. We’re using a vehicle that is going to be re-flown, and NASA will certify the re-flights because they want to do re-flights.”

Axiom and SpaceX will also have to confirm a schedule with NASA for the AX-1 mission to dock with the space station. The orbiting research complex has a busy schedule of arriving and departing crew and cargo vehicles, and managers also have slot in spacecraft dockings amid spacewalks, experiments, and other critical operations.

NASA also oversees safety of the space station with the program’s international partners.

But for the Axiom missions — with a privately-owned spacecraft and astronauts from the private sector — the companies themselves are ultimately responsible for the safety of the Dragon crew.

“I think NASA is probably going to be more involved in the first few flights,” Suffredini said. “Then the next few, we’ll see how that sorts out. That is one of the things to be sorted out.”

NASA is sorting out the safety approvals it might require for a private astronaut flight to approach the space station.

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft took off May 30 from the Kennedy Space Center on the first orbital spaceflight from U.S. soil since 2011. Credit: Walter Scriptunas II / Spaceflight Now

The Federal Aviation Administration licenses commercial launches in the United States. Securing regulatory approval for the launch of a private astronaut mission will follow similar processes used for other launches.

“Because we train at NASA facilities on the ground, there’s some liability there we have to sort through,” Suffredini said. “Then we have liabilities once we enter the sphere around the ISS, and that’s being sorted out.

“The big thing … is that we hold the commercial entities responsible for their aspects of the flight,” Suffredini said. “So SpaceX provides the ascent and re-entry, and that’s their responsibility. And we’re responsible for the crew’s overall training, their medical well-being, everything they do on ISS.”

Once NASA and Axiom come to a final agreement, Axiom will sign a contract with SpaceX specifying a launch schedule and the people flying on the AX-1 mission, Suffredini said. It will be an update to an earlier contract Axiom signed with SpaceX in December 2019 for a private astronaut mission.

“When we signed the SpaceX contract, NASA wasn’t very far along in their planning, so we had to sign it with assumptions,” Suffredini said.

NASA is looking to Axiom and other companies to develop a commercial market for human spaceflight in low Earth orbit after the International Space Station’s retirement, a goal agency leaders say will lower the cost of transportation and operations. In 2019, the space agency announced it would support private astronaut missions of up to 30 days to the space station.

NASA also unveiled a pricing structure for private astronauts who live and work on the space station, breaking out costs for access to the lab’s life support system, toilet, food, water, electricity and other necessities.. The space agency will charge around $35,000 per day for a private astronaut stay on the station.

The private astronaut flight opportunities arranged by Axiom could launch as often as two times per year, the company said.

NASA investment lays foundation for private astronaut missions

Self-funded space fliers to date have flown to the space station on Russian Soyuz spacecraft, joining crews comprised of government cosmonauts and astronauts.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and Boeing’s Starliner capsule are only U.S. vehicles expected to be available to transport commercial crews to the International Space Station in the coming years. Both human-rated ships were developed in partnership with NASA, which has contracts with SpaceX and Boeing valued at a combined $6.8 billion to build the Crew Dragon and Starliner capsules and fly government astronauts to the space station.

Although NASA supported development of crew capsules, the SpaceX and Boeing vehicles are available for other customers.

Earlier this year, the space tourism company Space Adventures announced an agreement with SpaceX to fly paying passengers on a Crew Dragon spacecraft without going to the space station. Instead, the Crew Dragon will fly on its own in Earth orbit, reaching altitudes hundreds of miles above the space station to provide passengers a more expansive view of Earth.

Space Adventures brokered flights of seven wealthy space tourists on Russian Soyuz capsules between 2001 and 2009.

While Cruise and Liman pursue a Hollywood production in orbit, Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, announced Tuesday it also plans to help film a Russian movie on the International Space Station in late 2021. Officials will select a protagonist and a backup during an open contest, Roscosmos said.

The Russian film is “aimed to popularize Russia’s space activities, as well as glorify (the) cosmonaut profession,” Roscosmos said.

Lopez-Alegria, the commander of the AX-1 mission, has flown with space tourist before. He launched with Anousheh Ansari, one of the Space Adventures clients, on a Soyuz rocket in 2006, then landed back on Earth with billionaire Charles Simonyi in 2007.

Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, said in August that she is “very comfortable” with a quick transition from the Crew Dragon test flight to the start of commercial service.

“This mission was incredibly smooth, not to say that there weren’t things we want to work on and do better next time, but the capsule worked beautifully,” Shotwell said after the splashdown of the Crew Dragon with Hurley and Behnken. “The operations worked extremely well, so we certainly feel comfortable that we’re on the right path to carry commercial passengers not too long from now.”

Shotwell said SpaceX’s ability to reuse each Crew Dragon spacecraft at least five times will help “change the paradigm of human spaceflight.”

“As a private company, SpaceX is looking at what the demand is,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “At NASA, our goal is to make sure that theres a big demand in the future. I would love see a fleet of Crew Dragons servicing not just the International Space Station, but also commercial space stations, which is why we’re working so hard every day to commercialize our activities in low Earth orbit.”

Hurley, who commanded the Crew Dragon test flight earlier this year, told reporters last month (https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/08/04/dragon-astronauts-describe-sounds-and-sensations-of-returning-to-earth/) that he expects it will take a “few flights” before engineers can fully wring out the SpaceX capsule’s systems.

“I think it’s going to take a few flights — and I think that’s prudent — before we can consider this vehicle completely tested,” Hurley said. “And then as, we all know, the space business, like a lot of those technically challenging businesses, is not forgiving.”

Hurley said engineers should not let their guard down, and “don’t just assume that because the last flight went perfectly, that the next flight is going to go perfectly. You have to do that rigor, and that analysis, and that attention to detail. And you can’t get complacent. You can never get complacent with a space vehicle.”

Axiom plans regular commercial missions to the space station.

A passenger on an Axiom mission in early 2023 will be the winner of a reality TV show in development by a production company named Space Hero. Suffredini said the mission in early 2023 will likely be AX-4, Axiom’s fourth private astronaut flight to the station.

“We provide to Space Hero what we provide everybody,” Suffredini said. “We’ll train the individual they bring forward to us, and their backup if they have a backup. Then we’ll put them on the flight, and they will be one of our customers on that flight, which is early 2023.”

Axiom has not selected a transportation provider for the mission with the reality show winner. Suffredini said Axiom’s ambition is to eventually choose between SpaceX and Boeing for each private astronaut mission, providing a competitive market for Axiom and other astronaut flight services.

“I’ve been very appreciative of the fact that SpaceX has leaned forward, and has always been willing to work us and make these things happen. so I’m happy to be flying with them,” Suffredini said. “I’ve got no reason not to fly with them in the future. But with Boeing coming along, it’s good for us to know where Boeing is, and when they’re ready to fly commercially, then we’ll be ready to talk to them, and it will be about pricing and other things.”

So far, Axiom has confirmed the AX-1 mission in late 2021 will use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. The third flight in Axiom’s manifest, AX-3, will also “very probably” be a SpaceX flight, and Axiom is working out the details for AX-2 in 2022, Suffredini said.

“Boeing’s just not flying yet,” he said.

Axiom is “largely done” selling the three passenger seats for the AX-3 mission in 2022, Suffredini said. “We have one (private astronaut) confirmed on AX-2, but we have about five that are in conversations and are very serious.”

The first seat sold on the AX-4 mission will go to the winner of Space Hero’s reality TV show, he said.

Tytuł: Odp: [SFN] Axiom finalizing agreements for private astronaut mission
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Września 28, 2020, 06:17

Axiom finalizing agreements for private astronaut mission to space station (2)

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Axiom Space says it plans to attach multiple commercial modules to the International Space Station beginning in the latter half of 2024. Credit: Axiom Space

Fundraising “right on schedule” for Axiom’s planned commercial space station

Alongside its work arranging private astronaut missions, Axiom is developing a commercial habitat to be installed on the International Space Station. In January, NASA selected Axiom for a $140 million contract to provide a module for an open port on the station in a step toward development of a commercial replacement of the International Space Station.

While the initial agreement with NASA is for a single module, Axiom says it plans to build and launch several habitats to form the “Axiom Segment” of the International Space Station. The modules will expand the station’s capacity for scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, and other activities.

Suffredini said Axiom plans to develop two pressurized modules in partnership with Thales Alenia Space of Italy. Thales will construct the pressure shells for each module, then deliver the spacecraft to a new assembly facility Axiom plans to build in Houston, where engineers will outfit the modules for flight.

Axiom aims to launch the first two modules from the Kennedy Space Center to dock with the space station in 2024 and 2025.

An orbital research and manufacturing facility would then join the Axiom Segment at the ISS. According to Suffredini, Axiom plans to modify a former Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, or MPLM, in storage at the Kennedy Space Center to become the research and manufacturing center.

There were three Italian-made MPLMs built to carry cargo to the space station inside the space shuttle’s payload bay. One of the MPLMs, named Leonardo, was modified to become a permanent part of the station, and another module, named Donatello, was converted by Lockheed Martin into a testbed for future deep space habitat technologies.

The third MPLM, named Raffaello, flew on four shuttle flights and is now in storage at the Kennedy Space Center. Axiom has its eye on turning Raffaello into a core piece of the first private lab in space.

Suffredini said each module Axiom develops will have its own solar arrays, guidance systems, and thrusters. That eliminates the need to couple the pressurized elements with power and propulsion modules to ferry them to the International Space Station.

“We did that first to get rid of the need for a second stage (service module),” Suffredini said. “Second, because it gives us redundancy for thruster capability for the whole station as we build up. And third, as these modules get old — they’re designed for 30 years — we don’t have to worry about de-orbiting the whole station. We can throw away one module at a time and bring up a new one. So we can evolve our station indefinitely with that kind of design.”

The Raffaello module will be modified with rocket thrusters, fuel tanks, solar arrays, and a cooling system, Suffredini said.

Axiom’s vision is to detach the Axiom Segment from the International Space Station before its retirement, creating the first standalone commercial space station. Research currently conducted on the ISS could be transferred to the new commercial facility gradually to prevent interruptions after the ISS is retired, according to Axiom.

Suffredini said Axiom will soon close the first tranche of a Series B fundraising round to secure investments to begin building the commercial modules. That funding will allow Axiom to begin work on a new spacecraft assembly facility in Houston, he said.

“We’re moving along with fundraising,” Suffredini said. “That’s a critical part of being able to build this thing with private money.”

NASA’s $140 million contract with Axiom covers just a fraction of the cost of the company’s space station. And NASA is paying Axiom to demonstrate its capabilities. Funding to actually build the modules will come from other sources.

“Overall, the cost is $2.5 to $3 billion to build our whole space station, and the sum total of the contract we have with the government … is $140 million over five to seven years, depending on extensions,” Suffredini said.

“All the development money is coming from either revenue or investment, and we’re very proud of that. We’re right on schedule relative to investments. That’s a critical part of progress, and we like where we are.”

Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/09/23/axiom-finalizing-agreements-for-private-astronaut-mission-to-space-station/

Tytuł: Odp: [SN] Axiom announces crew for first private ISS mission
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Stycznia 27, 2021, 03:45

Axiom announces crew for first private ISS mission
by Jeff Foust — January 26, 2021 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ax1-headshots.jpg)
The four people who will fly to the International Space Station on Axiom Space's Ax-1 mission include (from left) commander Michael López-Alegría and passengers Mark Pathy, Larry Connor and Eytan Stibbe. Credit: Axiom Space

WASHINGTON — A commercial Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station early next year chartered by Axiom Space will carry four private astronauts — but not a superstar actor.

Axiom Space revealed Jan. 26 the crew of its first mission to the ISS, called Ax-1 and scheduled for launch no earlier than January 2022. The flight is the first in a series planned by the company, which seeks to later add commercial modules to the ISS as a precursor to a stand-alone space station.

The Ax-1 mission will be commanded by Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut who now works for Axiom Space. Joining him will be three customers: Larry Connor, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe, who will spend eight days on the station.

“We sought to put together a crew for this historic mission that had demonstrated a lifelong commitment to improving the lives of the people on Earth, and I’m glad to say we’ve done that with this group,” Michael Suffredini, president and chief executive of Axiom Space, said in a statement.

Connor is an American entrepreneur best known as managing partner of The Connor Group, a real estate investment firm, and is also a pilot and race car driver. Pathy is a Canadian who is chief executive of Mavrik, an investment firm, as well as serves as chairman of Stingray Group, a media and technology company. Stibbe is a former Israeli Air Force pilot who is now the founding partner of Vital Capital, an “impact investment” fund.

For the Ax-1 mission, Pathy and Stibbe will be designated mission specialists while Connor will be pilot. Axiom spokesperson Beau Holder said that, as pilot, Connor will get additional training on the operations of the spacecraft to support López-Alegría. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will back up López-Alegría, while another commercial astronaut, John Shoffner, will train as a backup.

Axiom did not disclose the price the three commercial astronauts paid to be on the Ax-1 mission, including whether there was any difference in price among them. Industry sources estimate the per-person price at around $55 million.

Stibbe’s inclusion on the crew was announced in November by the Israeli government, which intends to work with him on activities during the mission. He will be the second Israeli to go to space, after Ilan Ramon, who was part of the ill-fated STS-107 shuttle mission in 2003.

“The government will use his time in the space station to do scientific and engineering experiments as well as many educational programs,” Avi Blasberger, director of the Israeli Space Agency, said in remarks Jan. 26 at the 16th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference.

At a session later in the conference, Stibbe said he had heard about the opportunity to fly on the mission last year from another former NASA astronaut, Garrett Reisman. “When Garrett Reisman just threw the idea into the air six months ago, I said, ‘Why not?’ And here I am already, one year before takeoff,” he said.

There had been widespread speculation for months that the other two seats would be occupied by actor Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman. Entertainment media reported last year that Cruise and Liman were planning to film a movie on the station, and NASA confirmed it was working with Cruise on a movie project on the ISS of some kind. However, in recent months Cruise appeared focused on other film projects, and there had been few updates on the proposed movie.

Connor and Pathy, like Stibbe, said they will conduct research and educational activities while on the station. “That’s what I’m excited about,” Connor said in a statement. “It’s about doing things that can only be done in space: experiments in microgravity. It’s a unique way to help humankind.”

Those plans could help preempt criticism of the flight as merely tourism. Stibbe has already faced criticism in Israel since the November announcement, in part because of media reports (https://www.timesofisrael.com/questions-on-arms-sales-funding-bring-2nd-israeli-astronaut-back-down-to-earth/) that a significant source of his wealth came from arms sales.

When Axiom discussed plans for the mission last year, it anticipated flying it in October 2021, a date that has now slipped at least three months. Holder said that the schedule of flight opportunities to the ISS, which involves deconflicting schedules with other spacecraft visiting the station, caused the delay.

Axiom envisions Ax-1 as the first in a series, pending customer interest and NASA approvals, with the potential of flying two per year. NASA, as part of a low Earth orbit commercialization strategy announced in 2019 (https://spacenews.com/nasa-releases-iss-commercialization-plan/), said it would allow up to two private astronaut missions to the station each year.

The Ax-1 crew has the potential to be the first private astronauts to go to the station since Guy Laliberté in 2009. He was the last in a series of private astronauts who flew with Space Adventures, buying extra seats on Soyuz missions.

However, two Soyuz missions could deliver private astronauts to the station before Ax-1. Roscosmos has discussed flying an actress on a Soyuz crew rotation flight in October 2021 as part of a proposal to film a movie on the station, an effort announced after reports of Cruise’s interest in shooting a movie there. The Russian space agency Roscosmos has not confirmed those plans.

Space Adventures announced in 2019 it would purchase a dedicated Soyuz flight to the ISS, carrying two customers and one professional astronaut, for a brief stay. That mission, Soyuz MS-20, is tentatively scheduled for launch in December, but neither Space Adventures nor Roscosmos has yet announced who will fly on that mission.

Source: https://spacenews.com/axiom-announces-crew-for-first-private-iss-mission/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Września 14, 2021, 00:45

NASA says demand for private ISS missions exceeds flight opportunities
by Jeff Foust — May 11, 2021 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/crew1-redocking-879x485.jpeg)
NASA says that the ISS “traffic model” can support two private astronaut missions a year, and that demand for such missions exceeds that. Credit: NASA TV

WASHINGTON — NASA says it’s seeing strong interest from companies proposing private astronaut missions to the International Space Station, with the demand for such missions exceeding the agency’s ability to accommodate them.

NASA announced May 10 that it had finalized an agreement with Axiom Space for that company’s first crewed mission to the station, scheduled for launch no earlier than January 2022. The Ax-1 mission, announced in January, will fly three paying customers on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría.

Source: https://spacenews.com/nasa-says-demand-for-private-iss-missions-exceeds-flight-opportunities/

Whitson to command second Axiom Space mission
by Jeff Foust — May 25, 2021 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/whitson-879x485.jpg)
Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who spent 665 days in space on three long-duration ISS missions, will command Axiom Space's Ax-2 commercial mission to the station. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

WASHINGTON — A former NASA astronaut who holds the record for the most time spent in space by an American will command Axiom Space’s second commercial mission to the International Space Station, the company announced May 25.

Axiom said that Peggy Whitson will serve as commander of the Ax-2 mission to the ISS. She will be joined by John Shoffner, a private astronaut from Knoxville, Tennessee, who will be a customer of the mission and serve as pilot.

Whitson joined the NASA astronaut corps in 1996 after several years at NASA as a research scientist. She was on the ISS for three-long duration missions in 2002, 2008 and 2016–17, spending 665 days in space, the most for any American astronaut but trailing eight Soviet and Russian cosmonauts. She performed 10 spacewalks over those three ISS missions.

Source: https://spacenews.com/whitson-to-command-second-axiom-space-mission/

Whitson to command planned commercial flight to space station
May 25, 2021 William Harwood [SFN]
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/052521_whitson_shoffner2.jpg)
Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner will fly on the AX-2 mission. Credit: Axiom Space

Peggy Whitson, America’s most experienced astronaut, and veteran GT3-class race car driver John Shoffner, a long-time pilot, will anchor a four-person crew launching to the International Space Station aboard Axiom Space’s second commercial trip to orbit, the company announced Tuesday.

The flight, if approved by NASA, marks the latest milestone in an emerging commercial space market using private-sector rockets and spacecraft to launch private citizens to space in purely commercial missions.

Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/05/25/whitson-to-command-planned-commercial-flight-to-space-station/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom-1
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Września 14, 2021, 00:46

NASA, Axiom sign agreements moving ahead with first commercial station visit
May 10, 2021 William Harwood [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/iss_atlantic.jpg)
A view of the Atlantic Ocean from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

NASA and Houston-based Axiom Space have signed a “mission order” setting the stage for four civilians to visit to the International Space Station early next year, the first fully commercial flight to the orbiting lab complex, agency managers said Monday.

Axiom’s “AX-1” mission and an upcoming charity-driven flight to low-Earth orbit, both aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon capsules, represent “a renaissance in U.S. human spaceflight,” said Phil McAlister, NASA’s director of commercial spaceflight development.

Including the anticipated certification of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and upcoming sub-orbital flights by Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, “I think that’s the perfect word for what we’re experiencing,” he said of the growing commercial space market. “This is a real inflection point, I think, with human spaceflight.”

Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/05/10/nasa-axiom-sign-agreements-moving-ahead-with-first-commercial-station-visit/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom-1
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Listopada 22, 2021, 20:29

Axiom Space outlines research plans for first ISS mission
by Jeff Foust — November 21, 2021 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ax1-training-879x485.jpg)
The four members of the Ax-1 crew (right) undergo training at NASA's Johnson Space Center for their commercial mission to the International Space Station. Credit: Axiom Space

LAS VEGAS — The three private astronauts on Axiom Space’s first mission to the International Space Station next February will perform more than 100 hours of research on their flight as the company works to advance plans for its own space station.

Source: https://spacenews.com/axiom-space-outlines-research-plans-for-first-iss-mission/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Maja 16, 2022, 06:40

SpaceLink hires Axiom to support ISS communications demonstration
by Debra Werner — February 17, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/rsz_021622_spacelink_iss_demo-879x485.png)
SpaceLink plans to establish a satellite constellation in medium Earth orbit to relay radio frequency and optical data between satellites in low Earth orbit and the ground. Credit: SpaceLink

SAN FRANCISCO — SpaceLink announced plans Feb. 17 to work with Axiom Space to conduct the first demonstration of its space data relay service on the International Space Station.

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, manager of the ISS National Laboratory, awarded McLean, Virginia-based SpaceLink a contract to demonstrate data transmission from the Space Station through optical terminals at a rate of 10 gigabits per second.
https://spacenews.com/spacelink-taps-axiom-for-iss-demonstration/

ISS operations remain normal ahead of private astronaut mission
by Jeff Foust — March 1, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/iss-nov2021-879x485.jpg)
NASA said its working relationship with Roscosmos for ISS operations has not been affected by sanctions and related measures after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Credit: NASA

WASHINGTON — NASA said that operations of the International Space Station remain normal despite the growing rift between Russia and the West in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At a Feb. 28 briefing to discuss the upcoming Axiom Space Ax-1 commercial mission to the ISS, Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator for space operations, said ISS operations were unchanged despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine that prompted sanctions and related measures by the United States, Europe and others.
https://spacenews.com/iss-operations-remain-normal-ahead-of-private-astronaut-mission/

Private mission ready for launch to the ISS
by Jeff Foust — April 3, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1crew-dragon.jpg)
The four private astronauts of Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission, (from left) Mark Pathy, Larry Connor, Michael López-Alegría and Eytan Stibbe, are scheduled to launch April 6 on a Crew Dragon to the space station. Credit: Axiom Space

WASHINGTON — The first private mission to the International Space Station by an American vehicle is scheduled to launch this week to serve as a first step in one company’s plans to establish a commercial space station.

Axiom Space is now targeting April 8 for the launch of its Ax-1 mission on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center. The company said late April 3 it had delayed the launch from April 6 but did not give a reason, although it came after NASA scrubbed a Space Launch System countdown test and rescheduled it for April 4. That Crew Dragon spacecraft, Endeavour, will spend 10 days in space, including eight docked to the ISS. There are additional launch opportunities daily through at least April 9.
https://spacenews.com/private-mission-ready-for-launch-to-the-iss/

Launch of Axiom’s commercial space station mission delayed until Friday
April 4, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1crewceit.jpg)
Ax-1 pilot Larry Connor, commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe during a test with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Credit: SpaceX

The launch of the first all-private crew to the International Space Station has been delayed to Friday, officials announced late Monday. The four commercial space fliers will ride to the station on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

The mission, managed by the Houston company Axiom Space, was originally scheduled for launch in February, but delays in preparing the Crew Dragon spacecraft and schedule constraints with other visiting vehicles at the space station forced officials to move the launch date to late March.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/04/launch-of-axioms-commercial-space-station-mission-delayed-until-friday/

Falcon 9 rocket test-fired for Axiom commercial crew mission
April 6, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20220406-Static-Fire.jpeg)
A Falcon 9 rocket fires its engines Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center. Credit: Spaceflight Now

SpaceX rolled a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to their launch pad Tuesday and test-fired the booster’s engines Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center, setting up for launch Friday of four private space fliers on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/06/falcon-9-axiom-1-static-fire/

NASA’s SLS moon rocket, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 share the scene at Kennedy Space Center
April 6, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/f9-sls-4.jpg)
Seen from Cape Canaveral National Seashore on Wednesday, NASA’s Space Launch System (left) stands on pad 39B and a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket (right) stands on pad 39A. Credit: Stephen Clark / Spaceflight Now

NASA’s Artemis 1 moon rocket and SpaceX’s Falcon 9 shared the scene Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center — the first time since 2009 that rockets have stood on both pads at Launch Complex 39.

The Space Launch System is standing on pad 39B at Kennedy, where it is awaiting another countdown dress rehearsal ahead of NASA’s Artemis 1 mission, an unpiloted test flight to the moon with the Orion crew capsule.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/06/nasas-sls-moon-rocket-spacexs-falcon-9-share-the-scene-at-kennedy-space-center/

Private astronaut mission cleared for launch
by Jeff Foust — April 7, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1-prelaunch.jpg)
A Falcon 9 carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft for the Ax-1 mission to the ISS stands on the pad at Launch Complex 39A with the first Space Launch System rocket in the background at Launch Complex 39B. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

COLORADO SPRINGS — The first commercial mission by an American spacecraft to the International Space Station is ready for launch as a pathfinder for a new era of commercial orbital human spaceflight.

At an April 7 briefing, officials from NASA, Axiom Space and SpaceX said the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Crew Dragon spacecraft are ready for launch at 11:17 a.m. Eastern April 8 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Forecasters are projecting a 90% chance of acceptable weather for the launch.

One issue still being looked at is weather at abort locations along the vehicle’s ascent to orbit off the East Coast and into the North Atlantic.
https://spacenews.com/private-astronaut-mission-cleared-for-launch/

Historic Ax-1 Mission Primed for Friday Launch, Saturday ISS Docking
by Ben Evans  April 7, 2022 [AS]

(https://www.americaspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ENDEAVOUR.jpg)
Seen here during its rollout to Pad 39A earlier this week, Dragon Endeavour will be embarking on her third voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) on Ax-1. Photo Credit: SpaceX

Three entrepreneurs from three nations, together with America’s most experienced spacewalker, are primed to launch from historic Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida early Friday, bound for the first all-private crewed trip to the International Space Station (ISS).
https://www.americaspace.com/2022/04/07/historic-ax-1-mission-primed-for-friday-launch-saturday-iss-docking/

SpaceX ready for launch of first all-commercial crew to space station
April 7, 2022 William Harwood STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1drydress.jpg)
Mark Pathy, Larry Connor, Mike Lopez-Alegria, and Eytan Stibbe at launch pad 39A during a dress rehearsal for launch of Axiom’s Ax-1 mission. Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX and a Houston company are gearing up to launch four private citizens Friday on the first NASA-sanctioned, fully commercial flight to the International Space Station, a key step in a government push to encourage private-sector development on the high frontier.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/07/spacex-ready-for-launch-of-first-all-commercial-crew-to-space-station/

SpaceX launches commercial mission to ISS
by Jeff Foust — April 8, 2022 Updated 1:45 p.m. Eastern with comments from postlaunch press briefing. [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1-launch2.jpg)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches a Crew Dragon spacecraft with four private astronauts on board on the Ax-1 mission for Axiom Space April 8. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

COLORADO SPRINGS — SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon spacecraft April 8 carrying four commercial astronauts to the International Space Station for Axiom Space. (...)

“Our guys aren’t going up there and floating around for eight days taking pictures and looking out of the cupola,” said Derek Hassmann, operations director at Axiom Space, said at a prelaunch briefing April 7.

Accommodating that work, which also includes commercial activities and more than 50 hours of outreach activities, was a challenge to fit into the station’s overall schedule. “It was just a large amount of items to go through,” said Angela Hart, NASA commercial LEO program manager, at the postlaunch briefing. (...)
https://spacenews.com/spacex-launches-commercial-mission-to-iss/

First All-Private Mission Flies, Heads for Space Station
by Ben Evans April 8, 2022 [AS]

(https://www.americaspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screenshot-2022-04-08-at-16.18.07-1536x812.png)
B4801062 powers uphill for her fifth mission. As such, she became the most flight-experienced rocket to launch a crew since the Space Shuttle era. Photo Credit: SpaceX/AxiomSpace

For the first time since 2001, a spacecraft carrying representatives of four sovereign nations roared into orbit at 11:17 a.m. EDT Friday, bound for a Saturday morning docking at the International Space Station (ISS). Seasoned shuttle astronaut, veteran ISS commander and America’s most experienced spacewalker Mike Lopez-Alegria—of Spanish heritage—was joined by entrepreneurs Larry Connor of the United States, Mark Pathy of Canada and Israel’s Eytan Stibbe aboard SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour. Flying on behalf of Houston, Texas-based AxiomSpace, Inc., the quartet are embarking on the first all-private crewed mission to the space station.
https://www.americaspace.com/2022/04/08/first-all-private-mission-flies-heads-for-space-station/

First-of-its-kind commercial astronaut mission heads for space station
April 8, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/51991177090_b0aaa6f4db_k.jpg)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket climbs away from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to begin the Ax-1 commercial crew mission. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Strapped in the seats of a SpaceX crew capsule, a retired NASA astronaut and three wealthy paying passengers rocketed into orbit Friday from the Kennedy Space Center on the first fully commercial mission to the International Space Station. (...)

Michael López-Alegría, commander of the mission, launched on his fifth flight to space. The other crew members for the Axiom mission, known as Ax-1, are pilot Larry Connor and mission specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy, three investors and entrepreneurs who paid for their tickets to space. (...)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/08/first-of-its-kind-commercial-astronaut-mission-heads-for-space-station/

Axiom mission arrives at ISS
by Jeff Foust — April 9, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1-docking-879x485.jpg)
The Ax-1 Crew Dragon spacecraft docked with the space station early April 9, a little more than 21 hours after launch from Florida. Credit: NASA TV

WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying four private astronauts arrived at the International Space Station April 9 for a scheduled eight-day stay.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour docked with the station at 8:29 a.m. Eastern, about 21 hours after it reached orbit after its launch on a Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Center. The docking took place about 45 minutes behind schedule as the Dragon loitered 20 meters from the station while the ISS crew and ground controllers worked on an issue with video they needed to support the docking.
https://spacenews.com/axiom-mission-arrives-at-iss/

First crew of private astronauts welcomed aboard International Space Station
April 9, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20220409isscrew.jpeg)
With the arrival of the Ax-1 crew, 11 people are now living and working aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV / Spaceflight Now

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked at the International Space Station on Saturday with four private astronauts, beginning a planned stay of at least eight days — and maybe longer — while becoming the first mission with an all-commercial crew to visit the orbiting research complex.

The commercial spacecraft built and owned by SpaceX docked with the Harmony module at 8:29 a.m. EDT (1229 GMT) Saturday, nearly 45 minutes later than scheduled due to a video problem on the space station. (...)

In a time with an increasing pace of crew launches to space, Connor said the Ax-1 mission is different than other private crew missions to space. (...)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/09/first-crew-of-private-astronauts-welcomed-aboard-international-space-station/

Commercial crew has no problem adapting to life on space station
April 14, 2022 William Harwood STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/041322_mla_1.jpg)
Axiom-1 mission commander Michael López-Alegría, a retired astronaut with four previous space flights to his credit, describes the first fully commercial visit to the International Space Station in an interview with CBS News. Credit: Axiom Space

The first NASA-sanctioned all-private crew to visit the International Space Station has had few problems adapting to weightlessness, but a non-stop schedule of proprietary research and public outreach has left little “window time” for sightseeing, their commander said Wednesday.

Since arriving at the station last Saturday “and ever since, it has been fast paced. I think that’s probably the biggest surprise, just how incredibly quick time goes by,” retired astronaut Michael López-Alegría, the crew’s leader and mentor, said in a space-to-ground interview with CBS News.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/14/commercial-crew-has-no-problem-adapting-to-life-on-space-station/

NASA ready for Ax-1 return and Crew-4 launch
by Jeff Foust — April 15, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1-approach.jpg)
The Ax-1 Crew Dragon approaching the ISS April 9. That spacecraft is scheduled to undock April 19 and splash down the next day. Credit: NASA

WASHINGTON — NASA says it’s gearing up for a rapid-fire series of events on the International Space Station that includes the return of a private astronaut mission and the launch of a new long-duration crew of American and European astronauts.

NASA announced April 15 that Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission to the station, which launched April 8 and docked to the station the next day, will conclude with an undocking scheduled for 10:35 a.m. Eastern April 19. That would lead to a splashdown off the Florida coast at 7:19 a.m. Eastern April 20.
https://spacenews.com/nasa-ready-for-ax-1-return-and-crew-4-launch/

Weather delays Ax-1 return
by Jeff Foust — April 20, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1-departureceremony-879x485.jpg)
Despite weather delays, the ISS crew held a departure ceremony for the Ax-1 private astronauts on the space station April 19. Credit: NASA TV

WASHINGTON — Poor weather will delay the return to Earth of four private astronauts from the International Space Station, which could in turn push back the launch of the next set of NASA and ESA astronauts to the station.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour was scheduled to undock from the ISS April 19, setting up a splashdown on the morning of April 20 off the Florida coast to conclude the Ax-1 mission to the station by Axiom Space. NASA announced April 18, though, that the undocking had been delayed to the evening of April 19, with splashdown moved to the afternoon of April 20.
https://spacenews.com/weather-delays-ax-1-return/

Ax-1 undocks from space station after extended stay
by Jeff Foust — April 24, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1-docking-879x485.jpg)
The Ax-1 Crew Dragon spacecraft, seen here docking with the ISS April 9, finally undocked April 24 after weather delayed its departure by several days. Credit: NASA TV

WASHINGTON — A Crew Dragon undocked from the International Space Station April 24 carrying four private astronauts who spent nearly twice as long on the station as originally planned.
https://spacenews.com/ax-1-undocks-from-space-station-after-extended-stay/

SpaceX again waves off return of Axiom crew mission
April 23, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/flax1.jpeg)
A view of the Florida peninsula from the International Space Station earlier this month. Credit: NASA

With persistent high winds off the Florida coast, SpaceX on Saturday again waved off the undocking and return to Earth of a Dragon crew capsule from the International Space Station with four private astronauts. The decision delays the Axiom crew’s departure until no earlier than Sunday night, with splashdown Monday afternoon.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/23/spacex-again-waves-off-return-of-axiom-crew-mission/

Axiom’s private astronauts depart space station after 15-day stay
April 25, 2022 William Harwood STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1undockquick1.jpg)
SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour spacecraft fires Draco thrusters after undocking from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV / Spaceflight Now

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four non-professional astronauts, the first fully commercial, non-government crew to visit the International Space Station, undocked from the outpost Sunday, heading for re-entry and splashdown Monday to close out an extended 17-day mission.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/25/axioms-private-astronauts-depart-space-station-after-15-day-stay/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Maja 16, 2022, 06:40

Crew Dragon splashes down to end Ax-1 private astronaut mission
by Jeff Foust — April 25, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ax1-splashdown.jpg)
The Crew Dragon Endeavour moments after splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean to end the Ax-1 mission. Credit: SpaceX/Axiom Space webcast

WASHINGTON — A Crew Dragon spacecraft returned to Earth April 25, ending a 17-day mission that ferried four private astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast from Jacksonville, Florida, at 1:06 p.m. Eastern after a normal reentry. The spacecraft had undocked from the station 16 hours earlier.
https://spacenews.com/crew-dragon-splashes-down-to-end-ax-1-private-astronaut-mission/

SpaceX capsule returns to Earth with first all-private space station crew
April 25, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/52030119680_41cd795a3f_k.jpg)
SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour spacecraft splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean Monday to end Axiom’s Ax-1 mission. Credit: SpaceX

A SpaceX crew capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Georgia Monday with a retired NASA astronaut and three wealthy businessmen, closing out an extended 17-day mission on the first fully commercial, non-government visit to the International Space Station.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/25/spacex-capsule-returns-to-earth-with-first-all-private-space-station-crew/

Refleksje załogi po locie

Pace of work put strain on private astronaut mission to ISS
by Jeff Foust — May 13, 2022 [SN]

(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ax1-crew-879x485.jpg)
The Ax-1 crew of (from left) Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, Michael López-Alegría and Eytan Stibbe said they were overly aggressive in planing how much they could done on the ISS, especially in their first few days after arriving there in April. Credit: Axiom Space

WASHINGTON — The private astronauts who spent two weeks on the International Space Station in April said they tried to pack too much into their schedules while on the station, putting a strain on both themselves and the professional astronauts there.

At a May 13 news conference, the four people who flew on Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission to the station said that while they had a good trip to the station, they overestimated how much work they could get done after their arrival at the ISS April 9 for what was originally scheduled to be an eight-day stay.
https://spacenews.com/pace-of-work-put-strain-on-private-astronaut-mission-to-iss/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Maja 19, 2023, 12:03

NASA, Axiom, SpaceX Discuss Upcoming Ax-2 Space Station Mission (https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=4630.msg184291#msg184291)
by Ben Evans May 16 2023 [AS]

(https://www.americaspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ax2.jpg)
The Ax-2 crew comprises (from left) Ali Al-Qarni, John Shoffner, Peggy Whitson and Rayyanah Barnawi. Photo Credit: AxiomSpace, Inc.

Representatives of NASA, SpaceX and Houston, Texas-headquartered AxiomSpace, Inc., gathered Monday afternoon to discuss progress towards the second all-private crewed expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), targeting liftoff from historic Pad 39A at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 5:37 p.m. EDT on 21 May. Commanded by former NASA Chief Astronaut, the world’s most experienced female spacewalker and America’s most flight-seasoned spacefarer, Peggy Whitson, the Ax-2 mission aims to remain on-orbit for about ten days, supporting a research portfolio of over 20 multidisciplinary experiments spanning life sciences, physical sciences, technology demonstration fields and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) educational outreach.
https://www.americaspace.com/2023/05/15/nasa-axiom-spacex-discuss-upcoming-ax-2-space-station-mission/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Czerwca 18, 2023, 21:07

Hungary to spend $100 million on private astronaut mission to ISS
Jeff Foust
November 23, 2022

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Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Nov. 22 that Hungary would spend $100 million to send an astronaut to the ISS through Axiom Space. Credit: ESA TV

PARIS — The Hungarian government plans to spend $100 million to send an astronaut to the International Space Station in two years through a deal with Axiom Space.
https://spacenews.com/hungary-to-spend-100-million-on-private-astronaut-mission-to-iss/

Axiom Space names crew for third private astronaut mission to ISS
Jeff Foust September 13, 2023

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The Ax-3 mission will fly (from left) Marcus Wandt, Walter Villadei, Michael López-Alegría and Alper Gezeravcı to the ISS in early 2024 for up to two weeks. Credit: SpaceX

PARIS — NASA and the other partners on the International Space Station have approved the crew of the third private astronaut mission by Axiom Space, scheduled to launch in early 2024.

NASA and Axiom Space announced Sept. 12 that they had finalized the crew for the Ax-3 mission launching no earlier than January 2024. The mission will be commanded by Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut who also led the Ax-1 mission to the ISS in April 2022.
https://spacenews.com/axiom-space-names-crew-for-third-private-astronaut-mission-to-iss/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Stycznia 19, 2024, 09:28

212.Amerykanin, 8. Włoch, 1. Turek, 2. Szwed w drodze do ISS.

SpaceX launches third Axiom mission to ISS (https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=5285.msg188953#msg188953)
Jeff Foust January 18, 2024 [SN]

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A Falcon 9 lifts off on the Ax-3 private astronaut mission to the ISS Jan. 18. Credit: SpaceX

WASHINGTON — SpaceX launched Axiom Space’s third private astronaut mission Jan. 18, sending a veteran former NASA astronaut and three astronauts from European governments to the International Space Station.

A Falcon 9 lifted off at 4:49 p.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and placed the Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom into orbit. Freedom separated from the upper stage about 12 minutes after liftoff.
https://spacenews.com/spacex-launches-third-axiom-mission-to-iss/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Lutego 07, 2024, 14:08

Trwa jeszcze najdłuższy z krótkich lotów związanych z ISS [07.02.2024].

Ax-3 Crew Primed for Science, Technology, Educational Outreach Mission (https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=5285.msg189393#msg189393)
by Ben Evans, January 17, 2024 [AS]

(https://www.americaspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AX3CREWAAAAAS-1536x1025.jpg)
However you count it, the Ax-3 crew includes representatives of four, five or even six nations. From left to right are Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, of Spanish and U.S. heritage, Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı of Türkiye and Marcus Wandt of Sweden (with Norwegian ancestry) and Pilot Walter Villadei of Italy. Photo Credit: SpaceX

(...) As its name implies, Ax-3 is the third in a series of Private Astronaut Missions (PAMs) between NASA and Houston, Texas-headquartered AxiomSpace, Inc. Contracts for the mission were finalized in March of last year and the four-man crew—Lopez-Alegria, a U.S. astronaut of Spanish heritage, together with Pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force and Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı of Türkiye and European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden, who also has Norwegian ancestry—were formally identified in September.

Lopez-Alegria becomes SpaceX’s first frequent flyer, the first person to ride a Crew Dragon to orbit on more than one occasion, having previously commanded the historic all-private Ax-1 mission to the ISS in April 2022. (...)
https://www.americaspace.com/2024/01/17/ax-3-crew-primed-for-science-technology-educational-outreach-mission/

Ax-3 private astronaut mission splashes down
Jeff Foust February 9, 2024 [SN]

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The Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom returned to Earth Feb. 10 after a three-week private astronaut mission to the ISS. Credit: SpaceX/Axiom Space webcast

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the Florida coast Feb. 9, wrapping up a three-week private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom splashed down at 8:30 a.m. Eastern off the coast from Daytona Beach, Florida, concluding the Ax-3 mission for Axiom Space. The spacecraft’s reentry and descent went as planned, from a deorbit burn by the spacecraft to deployment of drogue and main parachutes. (...)

Poor weather extended the Ax-3 mission by nearly a week. Freedom was scheduled to undock from the ISS early Feb. 3, splashing down later that day. However, unfavorable conditions at splashdown sites delayed the undocking several days. The spacecraft departed the station Feb. 7, setting up an unusually long two-day transit back to Earth. (...)
https://spacenews.com/ax-3-private-astronaut-mission-splashes-down/

NASA and ISRO continue discussions about Indian astronaut flight to ISS
Jeff Foust May 25, 2024

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets India’s first astronauts in February, one of whom may fly to the ISS. Credit: Office of Indian PM Modi

LOS ANGELES — NASA and the Indian space agency ISRO remain in discussions about flying an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station after America’s ambassador to India said such a mission was still planned for this year.

Speaking at an event May 22, Eric Garcetti, U.S. ambassador to India, appeared to confirm plans described in a joint statement of the U.S. and Indian governments after a June 2023 meeting in Washington between President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That statement said Indian astronauts would train in the U.S. with the goal “of mounting a joint effort to the International Space Station in 2024.”
https://spacenews.com/nasa-and-isro-continue-discussions-about-indian-astronaut-flight-to-iss/

U.S. and India advance human spaceflight cooperation
Jeff Foust June 18, 2024

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets India’s first astronauts in February, one of whom may fly to the ISS. Credit: Office of Indian PM Modi

WASHINGTON — The governments of the United States and India announced June 17 they are moving ahead with cooperation on human spaceflight that would include flying an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station, although with few details on who would fly and when.

The White House released a fact sheet regarding a meeting of the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), held June 17 in New Delhi and chaired by the national security advisers of the two countries. The statement highlighted the progress made by the two countries in cooperation in various technology sectors. (...)

The most likely scenario for flying an Indian astronaut to the ISS would be through a private astronaut mission, which would spend up to two weeks at the station. The next such mission is Axiom Space’s Ax-4, scheduled for late this year, although the company has not disclosed the crew for that mission or training plans. (...)
https://spacenews.com/u-s-and-india-advance-human-spaceflight-cooperation/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: kanarkusmaximus w Lipca 24, 2024, 10:22

Coś o Axiom-5: John McFall został uznany za gotowego do lotu kosmicznego.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/19/disabled-british-astronaut-john-mcfall-cleared-space-travel/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Sierpnia 05, 2024, 16:15

Hungary and Poland to join India on Ax-4 (https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=5420.msg192889#msg192889)
Jeff Foust August 5, 2024

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A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station during Axiom Space's Ax-2 private astronaut mission in May 2023. Credit: NASA

LOGAN, Utah — Astronauts from Hungary and Poland will fly alongside an Indian astronaut on Axiom Space’s next private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. (...)

The two mission specialists for Ax-4 are Sławosz Uznański of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Uznański is a European Space Agency reserve astronaut selected in 2022, eligible for specific missions like this. Poland announced in August 2023 that it, in cooperation with ESA, signed an agreement to fly an astronaut on a private mission. Sweden signed a similar agreement earlier in 2023 and flew its ESA reserve astronaut, Marcus Wandt, on the Ax-3 mission early this year. (...)

Absent from the announcement was a date for Ax-4. NASA is holding a launch date of as soon as November for the mission, the agency said at a recent briefing, but a slip to at least early 2025 is considered likely. (...)
https://spacenews.com/hungary-and-poland-to-join-india-on-ax-4/

Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut crew named, begins training in Houston
August 5, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240805_Axiom_Dragon_docked_small.jpg)
The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured docked to the space-facing port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module. Dragon Freedom carried four Axiom Mission-2 astronauts to the orbital lab on May 22, 2023, including Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi. Image: NASA

The full crew of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station was announced on Monday as they officially began training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. (...)

The Polish government is sponsoring the seat of Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański with support from the European Space Agency (ESA), the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MRiT) and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA).
He will become the second so-called “project astronaut” to fly to space, following Marcus Wandt’s journey to the orbiting outpost during the Ax-3 mission. ESA defines this as those who are “hired as ESA staff on a fixed-term contract and have posts that are linked to a specific flight or project… The length of a project astronaut’s contract is directly connected to the duration of their mission.”

“ESA is continuing to support its Member States with exploration though commercial access to space. With the upcoming Axiom 4 mission, ESA is working closely with Poland and helping drive forward technological advancements, highlighting Poland’s capabilities in space exploration and is a crucial step in advancing its technological expertise” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration.

40-year comebacks

The launch of Shukla, Uznański and Kapu mark milestone returns to space for their respective countries after more than 40 years each. (...)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2024/08/05/axiom-spaces-fourth-private-astronaut-crew-named-begin-training-in-houston/


40 years after astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shubhanshu Shukla is the first Indian to travel to space: Here's how is gearing up for ISS

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40 years after astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shubhanshu Shukla is the first Indian to travel to space: Here's how is gearing up for ISS

In a monumental step for India's space program, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will pilot the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2025, TOI has reported.

This mission will mark India's first human presence aboard the ISS and its second government-sponsored human spaceflight in more than four decades, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission with the Soviet Union.
https://www.msn.com/en-in/entertainment/bollywood/40-years-after-astronaut-rakesh-sharma-shubhanshu-shukla-is-the-first-indian-to-travel-to-space-here-s-how-is-gearing-up-for-iss/ar-AA1qU32K#

This billionaire’s startup wanted to build a space station. Now it can barely pay its bills
By Jeremy Bogaisky Published on September 18, 2024

(https://www.forbes.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/image_2f4dcc.png?resize=1536,1536)

With SpaceX and NASA as partners, Axiom pioneered commercial space flight to the International Space Station. Its next act was to be a commercial space station of its own. But missteps, dire financials and delays have sent it spiralling out of trajectory.

Axiom Space, a startup cofounded by billionaire Kam Ghaffarian, has a lofty goal: to build private space stations that allow humans to live and work off-planet en masse.

But lately the Houston-based company has been grappling with a more earthly concern — a struggle for survival. According to internal documents, seven former employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to nondisclosure agreements, and space industry experts, a severe cash crunch, business challenges and a cold reception to its latest fundraising efforts have hamstrung Axiom and led to extensive layoffs and pay cuts. (...)
https://www.forbes.com.au/news/leadership/space-startup-axiom-can-barely-pay-its-bills/

ISRO, ESA collaborate on Axiom-4, research experiments
Dec 21, 2024
https://www.uniindia.com/news/south/isro-esa-collaboration/3350944.html
https://news24online.com/india/isro-sign-agreement-with-european-space-agency-know-about-deal-in-detail/415504/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Maja 16, 2025, 18:47

Cytuj

Opóźnienie z powodu dodatkowych prac przy C-213

Axiom Mission 4 delayed due to Dragon capsule readiness (https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=5420.msg198831#msg198831)
May 14, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith [SFN]

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250514_Ax-4_training-copy.jpg)
Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski

have been training to live and work aboard the space station for the past eight months in preparation for their mission, which is targeted to launch no earlier than June 8, 2025. Image: Axiom Space[/i]

The debut of the fifth and planned final Dragon spacecraft is going to take a bit longer. The vehicle, tail number C213, will won’t be ready to support the flight of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station until next month. (...)

“After reviewing the International Space Station flight schedule, NASA and its partners are shifting launch opportunities for several upcoming missions,” NASA said in a statement on Wednesday. “The schedule adjustments provide more time to finalize mission plans, spacecraft readiness, and logistics.”

The C213 Dragon spacecraft impacted multiple missions due to its delayed readiness over the years. Back in November 2022, Sarah Walker, SpaceX Director of Dragon Mission Management, said the company was building its fifth Cargo Dragon to “carry us into the future and make sure we can support as many flights as our customers want to fly with us.” (...)

https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/05/14/axiom-mission-4-delayed-due-to-dragon-capsule-readiness/

SpaceX: członkowie misji Ax-4 polecą na orbitę w nowej kapsule Dragon
21.05.2025

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16.04.2025 PAP/Radek Pietruszka

(...) Podczas wtorkowej konferencji prasowej, zorganizowanej online przez firmę Axiom Space, Sarah Walker poinformowała też, że opóźnienie startu Ax-4 – pierwotnie planowanego na 29 maja, potem przesuniętego na 8 czerwca – było spowodowane problemami właśnie z nowym statkiem Dragon.

„Kapsuła nie przeszła standardowego testu przed startem. Podczas niego sprawdza się m.in. wytrzymałość izolacji urządzeń. Jeśli przewody nie przejdą tej kontroli, musimy je wymienić na nowe i ponownie przetestować. Kosztowało nas to kilka dni. Następnie napotkaliśmy również problem ze spadochronami. Te, które planowaliśmy zainstalować w kapsule, nie przeszły kontroli tuż przed montażem. Wykryliśmy ślady wilgoci w workach, w które były zapakowane, musieliśmy więc wymienić cały zestaw” – wyjaśniła szefowa misji Dragon.

Podczas konferencji kierowniczka programu Międzynarodowej Stacji Kosmicznej w NASA Dana Weigel powiedziała, że załoga Ax-4 zakończyła w ubiegłym miesiącu w Centrum Kosmicznym im. Johnsona w Teksasie szkolenie z pobytu na ISS. „Szkolenie przygotowało ich do życia na pokładzie stacji, a także do przeprowadzenia badań zaplanowanych w ramach misji. Jutro przeprowadzimy przegląd gotowości lotu dla tej misji” – zapowiedziała. (...)

Kierowniczka projektu, dyrektorka Departamentu Strategii i Współpracy Międzynarodowej Polskiej Agencji Kosmicznej (POLSA) Aleksandra Bukała zaznaczyła w czasie konferencji, że polska misja naukowo-technologiczna IGNIS na ISS zakłada nie tylko przeprowadzenie 13 eksperymentów naukowych, ale też ma bogaty program edukacyjny.

„Ponad 20 proc. czasu astronautów zostanie poświęcone na działania edukacyjne. To dla nas bardzo ważne, ponieważ misja ta jest postrzegana jako jeden z ważnych kamieni milowych w przyciąganiu uwagi i zwiększaniu świadomości na temat nauki w polskim społeczeństwie” – powiedziała przedstawicielka POLSA.

Zanim czworo członków załogi Ax-4 wystartuje na orbitę, dowódczyni misji Peggy Whitson zostanie wprowadzona do amerykańskiej Galerii Sław Astronautów (Astronaut Hall of Fame). Biochemiczka i była astronautka NASA spędziła do tej pory w kosmosie 675 dni. Jako szefowa misji Expedition 16 (2007-2008) była pierwszą kobietą dowódcą na ISS; w 2009 r. została mianowana głównym astronautą NASA – to najwyższe stanowisko w Korpusie Astronautów NASA. W 2018 r. Whitson znalazła się na liście 100 najbardziej wpływowych osób opublikowanej przez magazyn „Time”. (...)

https://naukawpolsce.pl/aktualnosci/news%2C107937%2Cspacex-czlonkowie-misji-ax-4-poleca-na-orbite-w-nowej-kapsule-dragon.html

The Company Helping Build the Next Space Station Is Launching to the ISS
by Jeffrey Kluger Jun 6, 2025 1:00 PM CET

(https://time.com/redesign/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.time.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F06%2FAxiom-Station-Rendering-Primary-Earth.png&w=1920&q=75)

An artist's rendering of the Axiom station in orbitAxiom Space

The 14-day Ax-4 mission is being flown with an eye toward a more distant goal. This flight and the previous three have been dress rehearsals both for crews and for Axiom’s onsite mission control, providing critical experience working in orbit and managing activities from the ground. That patient practice will be put to use in 2027 when the first Axiom space station module goes aloft and docks with the ISS. Over the course of the following three years, four more modules will be sent up and dock with the one already there, with the new cluster serving as a semi-autonomous space station budding from the larger existing one. In 2030, not long before the ISS is deorbited, the Axiom station will undock and become its own free-floating lab.

The first module, known as the payload, power, and thermal module (PPTM), will, as its name suggests, provide power, temperature control, and storage space for the new station. Following the PPTM will come one airlock module, two habitat modules, and a research and manufacturing module (RMF), where the onboard science will be performed. The RMF also includes a windowed enclosure similar to but much larger than the ISS’s cupola, providing 360-degree views of the Earth below and the surrounding space.

“It’s way bigger than the cupola,” says Whitson. “It’s going to be an immersive experience, where you can get your whole body inside. It will be like doing a spacewalk without having to put a spacesuit on.”

Axiom does not rule out adding more modules still down the line, especially as the company attracts private sector and government customers willing to pay to have experiments run and hardware tested in microgravity. The space community has gotten spoiled in the past 25 years, with a rotating corps of international astronauts always at work, always in orbit, making their homes aboard the ISS. The station may not attract the global excitement that the old Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions did, but we will surely miss it when it’s gone. Axiom Space is prepared to fill that void. (...)

https://time.com/7290848/axiom-mission-4-launch-international-space-station/

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch fourth commercial Axiom mission to the space station
June 9, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250609_Ax-4_dry_dress.jpeg)
The four astronauts of Axiom Mission 4 pose together amid a dry dress rehearsal of launch day activities. Left to right: Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. Image: SpaceX
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/06/09/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-fourth-commercial-axiom-mission-to-the-space-station/

SpaceX to debut its fifth and final Crew Dragon spacecraft on Axiom Mission 4
June 10, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250609_Dragon_C213_rollout.jpeg)
SpaceX rolls its newest Crew Dragon spacecraft along with the rest of the Falcon 9 rocket stack out to the pad at Launch Complex 39 on June 7, 2025, ahead of the launch of Axiom Mission 4. Image: SpaceX

The forthcoming private astronaut mission to the International Space Station managed by Axiom Space is not only its fourth such flight, but it also marks the swan song for a key part of the manufacturing side of SpaceX’s business.

The mission, dubbed Axiom Mission 4 or Ax-4, features the debut of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, tail number C213. This has been billed by SpaceX as its fifth and final Dragon capsule.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/06/10/spacex-to-debut-its-fifth-and-final-crew-dragon-spacecraft-on-axiom-mission-4/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Czerwca 13, 2025, 11:59

Shubhanshu Shukla's space launch delayed six times: Here are the reasons
Published On: Jun 13, 2025

(...)
REASONS BEHIND DELAY

1 The launch, originally targeted for May 29, 2025, was deferred to June 8, 2025, due to observations related to the electrical harness in the Crew Dragon module.

2 The launch was further postponed by one day to June 9, 2025, due to delays in the readiness of the Falcon 9 vehicle.

3 The launch date was subsequently postponed to June 10, 2025, owing to unfavourable weather conditions in the ascent corridor.

4 During preparations for the hot fire test on June 8, 2025, an additional oxygen leak was observed in the engine bay. Furthermore, an anomaly was detected in one of the engine actuators, which was replaced along with its controller. With expectations of a swift resolution to the LOX leak issue, the launch was rescheduled to June 11, 2025.

5 On June 10, 2025, during a technical review between Axiom, SpaceX, and the Isro delegation, ISRO recommended performing in-situ repairs or replacements and conducting a low-temperature leak test to verify system performance and integrity before granting launch clearance.

6 On June 11, 2025, Nasa reported that it is coordinating with Roscosmos to assess a new pressure signature suggesting a leak in the aft-most segment of the ISS Zvezda Russian Service Module, following a recent repair attempt. To allow further evaluation and determine if additional troubleshooting is needed, the Axiom-4 mission launch is being postponed.

Nasa officials have emphasised that multiple launch windows are available through June and July, but a new date will only be announced once all safety concerns are resolved.

This cautious approach highlights the complexities and high stakes of human spaceflight, especially as commercial and international partnerships expand the frontier of space exploration.

The mission, which would mark India's return to human spaceflight after 41 years, was rescheduled for June 11, 2025, but now faces an indefinite delay.
https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/shubhanshu-shuklas-space-launch-delayed-six-times-here-are-the-reasons-2740203-2025-06-13

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Czerwca 15, 2025, 11:48

NDTV Exclusive: Close Call For Musk's SpaceX Rocket: How ISRO Helped Avert Space DisasterThe fault was observed following a demand for due diligence from the Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman, Dr V Narayanan.
Written by: Pallava Bagla Edited by: Divyam Sharma India News Jun 14, 2025 21:55 pm IST Published On Jun 14, 2025 16:59 pm IST Last Updated On Jun 14, 2025 21:55 pm IST

(...) Sources told NDTV that the Hungarian and Polish teams supported the stand taken by the Indian delegation. The leadership of Axiom Space is also relieved by the 'Safety-first, Launch-later' stand taken by ISRO. The Indian space organisation's handling of the situation is appreciated by many at Cape Canaveral.

The cracked line has since been replaced, but Dr Narayanan asserts that "safety and mission integrity remain our top priorities". Experts say the crack could have fractured the fuel line since massive vibrations take place at liftoff. (...)
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/crack-on-astronaut-shubhanshu-shuklas-rocket-how-isros-intervention-averted-fatal-disaster-8667532

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch fourth commercial Axiom mission to the space station
June 9, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith
Update June 24, 6:38 p.m. EDT: Axiom Space, NASA and SpaceX are targeting Wednesday, June 25 for the mission launch.

(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250609_Ax-4_dry_dress.jpeg)
The four astronauts of Axiom Mission 4 pose together amid a dry dress rehearsal of launch day activities. Left to right: Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. Image: SpaceX
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/06/09/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-fourth-commercial-axiom-mission-to-the-space-station/

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Czerwca 25, 2025, 10:17

Fourth Axiom Space private astronaut mission launched to ISS
by Jeff Foust June 25, 2025

(https://i0.wp.com/spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ax4-liftoff.jpeg?resize=1536%2C844&quality=89&ssl=1)
A Falcon 9 lifts off June 25 on Axiom Space's Ax-4 private astronaut mission to the ISS. Credit: SpaceX webcast

WASHINGTON — SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon spacecraft on a private astronaut mission to the International Space Station June 25 after weeks of delays. (...)

“Grace is more than a name. It reflects the elegance with which we move through space against the backdrop of Earth,” she said. “Grace reminds us that spaceflight is not just a feat of engineering but an act of goodwill for the benefit of every human everywhere.”
https://spacenews.com/fourth-axiom-space-private-astronaut-mission-launched-to-iss/

Ax-4 launch sees 1st Indian, Pole, Hungarian enter space in 40+ years

June 25, 2025 — Astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary have embarked on a two-week science research mission, marking a "return to human spaceflight" for each of their countries after more than 40 years.
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-062525a-axiom-mission-4-ax4-launch-india-hungary-poland.html

With 'Grace': Astronauts name SpaceX's final Dragon crew capsule

June 25, 2025 — The last Dragon spacecraft that SpaceX plans to build entered orbit for the first time with "grace."

Taking flight on Wednesday (June 25) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the capsule lifted off with Axiom Space's fourth crew to visit the International Space Station. Ax-4 commander Peggy Whitson revealed the spacecraft's name just as it separated from its rocket's upper stage to begin its maiden mission.
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-062525a-axiom-mission-4-ax4-grace-dragon-capsule-name.html

Tytuł: Odp: Artykuły o Axiom Space
Wiadomość wysłana przez: Orionid w Czerwca 28, 2025, 12:34

India, Poland and Hungary make spaceflight comeback with ISS mission
Agence France-Presse Wed 25 Jun 2025 13.28 CEST

(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/14d3ffeb6fee95610c72274781a8bbd60e270624/0_0_8256_5504/master/8256.jpg?width=620&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Tusk watching the launch at the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw. Photograph: Radek Pietruszka/EPA

Countries send their first astronauts in decades into space on Axiom Mission 4, along with US commander

(...) The last time India, Poland or Hungary sent people to space, their current crop of astronauts had not yet been born – and back then they were called cosmonauts, as they flew on Soviet missions before the fall of the iron curtain. (...)

India’s space agency, ISRO, sees this flight as a key stepping stone towards its own maiden crewed mission, planned for 2027 under the Gaganyaan programme, meaning “sky craft” in Hindi.

The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, hailed the successful launch of the Ax-4 space mission. “[Shukla] carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Wish him and other astronauts all the success!” he wrote on X.

While onboard the ISS, Shukla is widely expected to speak with Modi, in a soft-power moment aimed at stoking national pride.

All three countries are footing the bill for their astronauts. Hungary announced in 2022 it was paying $100m for its seat, according to spacenews.com. India and Poland have not disclosed how much they are spending. (...)
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jun/25/india-poland-hungary-us-astronauts-iss-axiom-mission-4