NASA has agreed to let Axiom Space fly the first private astronauts to the International Space Station in 2022

NASA has agreed to let Axiom Space fly the first private astronauts to the International Space Station in 2022
Kelly McLaughlin,Morgan McFall-Johnsen
·2 min read
Ax1 crew members: Commander Michael López-Alegría, mission pilot Larry Connor, mission specialist Mark Pathy, mission specialist Eytan Stibbe
The Ax1 crew members, left to right: Commander Michael López-Alegría, mission pilot Larry Connor, mission specialist Mark Pathy, mission specialist Eytan Stibbe. Axiom Space

  • NASA and Axiom Space have agreed to fly the first private astronauts to the International Space Station.

  • Four astronauts would launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship as early as January 2022.

  • For the mission, called AX-1, the astronauts will spend eight days on the ISS.

  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

The first space-station mission for people who aren't professional astronauts is in full swing.

NASA and Axiom Space announced on Monday that they have agreed to launch that spaceflight, called Axiom Mission 1 (AX-1), as early as January 2022. Axiom has purchased seats for four people aboard one of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceships, which have now flown three astronaut crews to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA.

For the AX-1 mission, the vehicle is set to launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Then Crew Dragon would fly the Axiom crew to the ISS, where they're scheduled to stay for eight days. If all goes according to plan, they will become the first private astronauts to set foot on the orbiting laboratory.

ISS The International Space Station as of Oct. 4, 2018
The International Space Station, as photographed from a Soyuz spaceship. NASA/Roscosmos

Axiom has chosen its vice president, former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, to command the AX-1 crew. The mission also includes real-estate investor Larry Connor, Canadian investor Mark Pathy, and former Israeli fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe.

Each of the four men has paid roughly $55 million to fly on the Crew Dragon. NASA is still reviewing the group, and they will need to undergo medical reviews before the agency approves them.

"The first private crew to visit the International Space Station is a watershed moment in humanity's expansion off the planet and we are glad to partner with NASA in making it happen," Axiom President and CEO Michael Suffredini said in NASA's press release. "A thriving commercial marketplace in low-Earth orbit begins with expanding access to serious, nontraditional users and that is exactly the aim of our private astronaut missions."

This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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