The four civilian astronauts who will spend a week on the International Space Station in April living and conducting experiments have been confirmed by NASA. The mission is known as Ax-1, and the crew has been training since August 2021 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and other NASA facilities.
Ax-1 will be operated by Axiom Space, a private space company developing its own ISS module, with the four passengers arriving aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
During the day-long flight to the station, NASA astronaut and Axiom Space VP Michael López-Alegra will serve as mission commander, with Larry Connor as pilot and Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe as mission specialists.
The crew's training has enabled them to become acquainted with the ISS's systems, scientific facilities, and emergency protocols. Once on board, the crew, who each paid $55 million for the flight, will spend eight days conducting a variety of research, commercial activities, and educational sessions for youngsters on Earth below.
They will launch on a flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Mar. 30.
In addition to NASA training, the four have been working with the European Space Agency and SpaceX at their Hawthorne, California headquarters. The SpaceX training has allowed them to become acquainted with the operation of the Crew Dragon capsule, which will transport them to and from the station.
The objectives of the four AX-1 crew are unclear because the final proposals will not be approved until closer to launch, according to NASA.
Axiom recently released a microgravity research portfolio that the Ax-1 crew plans to do in space in collaboration with a number of companies on Earth.
"The goal for the Ax-1 crew is to set a standard for all future private astronaut missions in terms of our preparation and professionalism," López-Alegría said.
Even though Axiom Mission 1 has yet to launch, Axiom Space has already announced a second launch. While there is no official date yet, Ax-2 already has a commander and pilot lined up.
Peggy Whitson, a retired astronaut with three previous flights to space, is in command of the mission. Along with being the first female captain of the ISS, she also holds the American record for the most time in space.
As the Pilot of Ax-2, she will be joined by John Shoffner, an American racing driver, investor and pilot. He will be trained not just in ISS systems, but also in the operations of specialized spacecraft.
While in the ISS, the two will collaborate with a California-based Genomics company to study single-cell genomics, the study of individuality in cells, looking at new cells and how they differ.
