The Axiom 1 or Ax-1 mission (named “Sky” in Israel) is scheduled to take off Wednesday, March 30, from Launch Compound 39A at NASA’s Canadian Space Center in the Dragon Dragon spacecraft on a SpaceX X Falcon 9 missile.
NASA and its international partners have approved crew members for Axiom Space’s first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. March 30 from Launch Compound 39A at NASA’s Canadian Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX X Falcon 9 missile. The Ax-1 crew will fly the Crew Dragon Endeavor to and from the space station. After ten days on the runway, the Ax-1 crew will land in the water off the coast of Florida.
Axiom Space Axis astronauts Michael Lopez-Allegria, Larry Connor, Mark Pati and Ethan Steve are the main flight crew of the Ax-1 mission. Lopez-Allegria, who was born in Spain, grew up in California and was an astronaut at NASA, will be the mission commander. Conor, from Dayton, Ohio, will be a pilot. Pati, Canada, and Steve, from Israel, will be mission experts. And carry out scientific, educational and commercial activities before returning to Israel.
“This is another historic milestone in our efforts to create a low-satellite orbit economy,” said Phil McLister, NASA’s Commercial Space Flight Director.
The proposed missions of the mission are still being reviewed and approved before the flight. Axium has already published a portfolio of weightless studies that the Ax-1 team is designed to conduct in orbit in partnership with a variety of organizations on Earth. This study is sponsored by ISS US National Laboratory.
“The goal of the Ax-1 team is to set standards for all future astronaut missions in terms of our preparation and professionalism,” Lopez-Allegria said. “As a commander, I am proud of the work that these crew members have put in to be willing to do significant work on the International Space Station and I am pleased to see that they meet the standards required of all astronauts who have flown to the station since the first expedition. Ax-1 is focused on a large number of science and blackout activities, and we look forward to the final formulation of this flight plan. “
The Ax-1 team has been training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and other NASA facilities since August 2021 to become familiar with the station’s systems, scientific facilities and emergency procedures. The team also trained with NASA’s international partners at the European Space Agency’s space station, as well as with the Space X launch contractor at its facilities in Hawthorne, California, and elsewhere in preparation for the mission.
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