Axiom Space, Inc., also known as Axiom Space, is an American privately funded space infrastructure developer headquartered in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

. Founded in 2016 by former CEO Michael T. Suffredini and

Kam Ghaffarian Kamal "Kam" Ghaffarian () is an Iranian-born American businessman who focuses on the space industry and new energies and is known as the co-founder of IBX, Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, X-energy and Quantum Space. Life and education Gha ...

, the company first flew a spaceflight in 2022: Axiom Mission 1, the first commercially crewed

private spaceflight Private spaceflight is any spaceflight development that is not conducted by a government agency, such as NASA or ESA. During the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pionee ...

to the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

(ISS). The company aims to own and operate a modular commercial space station in the late 2020s. The company's employees include former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria, Peggy Whitson, Brent W. Jett Jr and Koichi Wakata. The company sent its first commercial astronauts into orbit in 2022. It also plans

human spaceflight Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, often with the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard human crew. Spacecraft can also be ...

for government-funded and commercial astronauts engaging in in-space research, in-space manufacturing, and

space exploration Space exploration is the process of utilizing astronomy and space technology to investigate outer space. While the exploration of space is currently carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, its physical exploration is conducted bo ...

History

Former Axiom Space CEO Michael T. Suffredini was previously the program manager for the

from 2005 to 2015. After retiring from NASA, Suffredini and Kam Ghaffarian started Axiom Space to target the emerging commercial spaceflight market. Ghaffarian is an engineer and entrepreneur who sold his company, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc., a large NASA contractor, to KBR in 2018. Ghaffarian is also the Executive Chairman of Quantum Space. The company was selected by NASA to provide the first commercial destination module on the ISS. Axiom Space also announced in March 2020 a contract with

SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...

to fly commercial astronauts to the ISS via

Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...

and

Crew Dragon Dragon 2 is a class of partially reusable spacecraft developed, manufactured, and operated by the American space company SpaceX for flights to the International Space Station (ISS) and private spaceflight missions. The spacecraft, which consi ...

scheduled for March 2022; the launch took place on 8 April 2022 and the crew returned on 25 April. The company had 110 employees as of February 2021, with offices located in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

NASA contract for ISS modules

In 2020, as part of the broader Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) cislunar initiative,

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

awarded Axiom a US$140 million contract to provide at least one habitable

spacecraft A spacecraft is a vehicle that is designed spaceflight, to fly and operate in outer space. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including Telecommunications, communications, Earth observation satellite, Earth observation, Weather s ...

to attach to the ISS. Axiom Space was the only selected proposal from the solicitation process due in 2019. Bigelow Aerospace did not submit a proposal and has subsequently ceased operations. The modules constructed by Axiom Space are designed to commercially provide services and products in the

low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an geocentric orbit, orbit around Earth with a orbital period, period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an orbital eccentricity, eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial object ...

economy. The "Axiom Segment" of the station was planned, , to include a node module to act as a connector, a research and manufacturing facility, a crew habitat, and a "large-windowed" module for viewing the Earth. In December 2024, Axiom Space revised their station assembly plans to require only the first module, the Payload Power Thermal Module (PPTM), to dock with the ISS before separating in 2028 to join with the Habitat One (Hab-1) module in a separate orbit.

Axiom Station

Before the ISS is retired in 2030, the company plans to assemble and operate an independent space station, Axiom Station. Axiom Space plans to have the modules individually launched and assembled in orbit, with the first attaching to the ISS. The company is currently targeting 2027 for the launch of its first module, PPTM, and the late-2020s to early-2030s for station completion. Following the launch of the second module, Hab-1, and the separation of PPTM from the ISS to join with Hab-1, Axiom Station will function as an independent free-flying space station. , five modules are manifested on Axiom Station's assembly roadmap. Axiom Space plans to conduct astronaut training for

commercial astronaut A commercial astronaut is a person who has commanded, piloted, or served as an active crew member of a privately-funded spacecraft. This is distinct from an otherwise non-government astronaut, for example Charlie Walker, who flies while represe ...

s, to host governments and commercial partners. The first module is expected to dock to one of two ISS ports currently used for cargo spacecraft.

Canadarm2 The Mobile Servicing System (MSS) is a robotic system on board the International Space Station (ISS). Launched to the ISS in 2001, it plays a key role in station assembly and maintenance; it moves equipment and supplies around the station, suppo ...

may continue its operations on Axiom Station after the retirement of the ISS. Axiom Earth Observatory interior

The interior of Axiom Station was designed in 2018 by French architect Philippe Starck. Renderings of the habitat show a chamber with walls that are covered with tufted padding and studded with hundreds of colour-changing LEDs. Axiom Space has publicly stated an intent to maintain at least one astronaut in the station continuously, who will be assigned to take care of research projects and station repairs. This includes amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, video screens, picture windows, and a glass-walled cupola.

Human spaceflight

Axiom Space provides

services to people, corporations, and space agencies. Missions to the International Space Station are offered by Axiom Space, with a 10-day mission including 15 weeks of training. In addition to training, Axiom Space states that the packages include mission planning, hardware development, life support, medical support, crew provisions, hardware and safety certifications, on-orbit operations, and mission management. Missions could extend for longer periods depending on the focus of the spaceflight. Former NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson and

Michael López-Alegría Michael López-Alegría (born Miguel Eladio López Alegría on May 30, 1958) is an astronaut, test pilot and commercial astronaut with dual nationality, American and Spanish; a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and one International Space ...

are employees and serve as commanders of missions. In June 2020, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said NASA was involved with the filming of a

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...

movie to the ISS with SpaceX expected to be the transportation partner for the flights.

In-space research and manufacturing

Axiom Space intends to commercialize

microgravity Weightlessness is the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight, i.e., zero apparent weight. It is also termed zero g-force, or zero-g (named after the g-force) or, incorrectly, zero gravity. Weight is a measurement of the fo ...

research and development, using the ISS National Lab until its modules are operational.

Missions

In early June 2021, Axiom Space announced a deal with SpaceX which added three additional crewed flights to the ISS, for a total of four.

Ax-1

Ax-2

Ax-2 was a private crew mission to the ISS. The flight launched on 21 May 2023 and sent four people to the ISS. On 25 May 2021, Axiom Space announced that former NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson would be the mission commander and John Shoffner would be the mission pilot. Two astronauts from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi were also on board as mission specialists.

Ax-3

Ax-3 was a private crew mission to the ISS. The flight launched on 18 January 2024 and sent four people to the ISS. Former NASA Astronaut

was the mission commander and Walter Villadei was the mission pilot. Two astronauts from Turkey and Sweden, Alper Gezeravcı and Marcus Wandt were also on board as mission specialists.

Ax-4

Ax-4 is a planned private crew mission to the ISS. The flight will launch on 19 June 2025 and carry four people to the ISS, including veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson. The crew will include a Polish, a Hungarian, and an Indian astronaut.

Ax-5

Ax-5 is a planned private crew mission to the ISS that will launch no earlier than May 2026.

Axiom Mission Control Center

In January 2022, the Axiom Space Mission Control Center (or MCC-A) completed its first on-orbit science payload operation on the ISS. At this time, MCC-A, located at Axiom's HQ in Houston, TX, was registered as a payload operations site. In April 2022, MCC-A supported a record number of on-orbit science payload operations and live on-orbit events for Axiom's Ax-1 mission to ISS, which was the first all-private mission to the ISS. In late 2022, Axiom's MCC-A became a certified ISS partner Mission Control Center, connected to NASA's ISS program, joining a small handful of International partner MCCs and SpaceX's MCC. In May 2023, Axiom Space flew their second mission to ISS, Ax-2, supported entirely out of MCC-A by an Axiom Space flight control team of 6-10 flight controllers.

Flights

Orbital

Suborbital

Space suit

Future NASA contracted suits

On 1 June 2022, NASA announced it had selected Axiom Space to develop and provide astronauts with next generation spacesuit and spacewalk systems to first test and later use outside the International Space Station, as well as on the lunar surface for the crewed Artemis missions, and prepare for human missions to Mars.

References

External links

* {{Space tourism, state=collapsed American companies established in 2016 Space-based economy Private spaceflight companies Aerospace companies of the United States Privately held companies based in Texas