Axiom-1, the first all-private expedition to the International Space Station, launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on Friday morning.
The four Axiom-1 crew members, all private people (albeit one is a former NASA astronaut), left Kennedy Space Center at 11:17 a.m. Eastern. After a 20.5-hour journey to meet with the space station, they will spend several days on the ISS.
The Independent said Axiom Space is working on a module added to the International Space Station in 2024 and will serve as a destination for paying clients who want to fly in space.
The business intends to add more modules over time, eventually removing the complex from the ISS and converting it into a free-flying commercial space station before the ISS's departure in the late 2020s.
SpaceX Launches Axiom AX-1 Mission After Four Astronauts Paid $55 Million Each
After two years of transporting humans to the orbiting lab for NASA, this is SpaceX's first private charter mission there.
On Saturday, arriving at the International Space Station are an American, a Canadian, and an Israeli handling real estate and other businesses. They'll each pay $55 million for the rocket flight and accommodations, including all meals.
For decades, Russia has hosted tourists aboard the space station and, before that, the Mir station. A Russian film crew arrived last fall, followed by a Japanese fashion entrepreneur and his assistant.
Phys.org said visitors would have access to everything on the space station except the Russian section, which will require permission from the three cosmonauts on board. There are also three Americans and a German living up there.
The administrator of NASA's space operations, Kathy Lueders, said there's a lot to learn from this first totally private station visit.
Friday's voyage is Elon Musk's SpaceX's second private charter, following a three-day orbit excursion for a millionaire and his companions last year. SpaceX will launch its sixth voyage of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in a few weeks.
What Makes Ax-1 Different From Other Commercial Spaceflights
The Ax-1 mission is unlike any of the recent commercial spaceflights.
Axiom Space's new launch includes four civilian passengers instead than just one paying client accompanied by professional astronauts.
NASA's operations director, Derek Hassman, told NBC News: "In the case of the Ax-1 mission, it's very different in that the entire crew [is] unaffiliated with any government."
The following people will be part of the Ax-1 mission:
- Lopez-Alegria, Michael - A former NASA astronaut who is now living as a private American citizen;
- Connor, Larry - An American real estate investor;
- Pathy, Mark - A Canadian businessman; and
- Stibbe, Eytan - A former fighter pilot from Israel;
Eleven space tourists have flown to the ISS in the last two decades. Still, they were all solo travelers who paid to fly on publically funded ships with professional astronauts on board. While AX-1 is the station's private mission, it will not be the last.
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