AXIOM MISSION 1 (AX 1)

Jan. 29, 2021

A former Israeli fighter pilot, an American technology entrepreneur and a Canadian investor will be part of the crew of the first entirely-private orbital space mission.

About:

  • The three men are paying $55 million each to fly aboard a SpaceX rocket for an eight-day visit to the International Space Station, organised by Houston-based spaceflight firm Axiom.

  • The Axiom Mission 1 (AX 1) flight is being arranged under a commercial agreement with NASA.

  • The mission will be led by former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, who now works for Axiom space.

  • While private citizens have travelled to space before, the AX 1 mission will be the first to use a commercially built spacecraft, the SpaceX Dragon 2, best known for flying its first two crews to the ISS late last year.