They will be led by a former NASA astronaut who now works for Axiom Space, a Houston company that scheduled the mission for next January.
“This is the first private flight to the International Space Station. It’s never been done before, ”said Axiom chief executive and president Mike Suffredini, who was a space station program manager for NASA.
While mission leader Michael Lopez-Alegria is well-known in space circles, “the other three men are just people who want to be able to go into space, and we are giving that opportunity,” he said. Suffredini ris The Associated Press.
We are delighted to see another important commercial space step. Our small astronauts group @csa_asc has had a big exchange… https://t.co/sCnqvOadEn
– Jeremy R. Hansen (@Astro_Jeremy) 1611681525000
The first crew will spend eight days at the space station, and will take a day or two to get there aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule after takeoff from Cape Canaveral.
Russia has been in the off-planet tourism industry for years, selling flights to the International Space Station since 2001. Other space companies such as Virgin Galactic Richard Branson and Blue Origin at Jeff Bezos Expecting customers to take up and down flights lasts just minutes. Those trips – much more accessible with seats going for hundreds of miles versus millions – could start this year.
Axiom’s first customers include Larry Connor, a real estate and tech entrepreneur from Dayton, Ohio, Canadian treasurer Mark Pathy and Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe, a close friend of Israeli first astronaut Ilan Ramon , killed in the 2003 Columbia spacecraft crash.
“All of these people are very involved and committed to a cause for the development of their communities and countries, so we couldn’t be happier with this first team because of their energy and interest, “said Suffredini.
Each of these pay envoys plans to conduct scientific research in orbit, he said, along with the reach of education.
Lopez-Alegria, a former space station resident and spacewalk director, told the group “a gathering of pioneers. ”Tom Cruise was mentioned last year as a potential team member; NASA chief executives confirmed his interest in filming a movie at the space station There was no word Tuesday in whether Cruise will take the next Axiom flight. Suffredini declined to comment.
All private astronauts had to undergo medical tests and receive 15 weeks of training, according to Suffredini. The 70-year-old Connor is the second oldest person to fly in space, following John Glenn’s 1998 flight at the age of 77. He will also serve under Lopez-Alegria as a capsule pilot.
Axiom plans about two private missions a year to the space station. They are also working to launch their own live sections to the station starting in 2024. This section would be removed from the station once it has retired. with NASA and its international partners, and being its own private center.