Research Plans for First ISS Mission Outlined by Axiom Space

The three private astronauts who will fly to the International Space Station on Axiom Space’s inaugural voyage next February will conduct more than 100 hours of research as the business attempts to develop plans for its space station. According to Axiom Space, the three clients going on the Ax-1 mission, which is set to launch on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship on February 21, will conduct 25 experiments during their one-week stay on the station.

Larry Connor, a real estate developer from the United States, will research the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic. Heart health and the effects of the space environment on the spine and brain will focus on this research. Mark Pathy, the CEO of a Canadian investment firm, will research several organizations in Canada. Studies on chronic pain and sleep disruptions encountered by astronauts, investigations on changes in visual acuity, and Earth observation for climate change and ecology research are all part of this endeavor.

Former Israeli Air Force pilot Eytan Stibbe, a founding partner of an “impact investing” fund, will research the Ramon Foundation and Israel Space Agency. As part of an Israeli-sponsored mission dubbed “Rakia,” he will conduct a series of experiments in various fields. Axiom leadership underlined the mission’s scientific focus. Michael López-Alegra, a former NASA astronaut and the mission’s commander, will join Axiom three customers on the voyage.

The four are presently undergoing mission training, which includes time at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Ax-1 is the first series of personal missions planned by Axiom before launching a commercial module in 2024. Maender stated that the business plans to launch its Ax-2 mission in the third quarter of 2022, with veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson as commander and one of its customers, John Shoffner, as a pilot.