Axiom Private ISS Crew Greenlighted For Launch

Private spaceflight has become a thing during 2021, assuming you have very deep pockets. Axiom has announced that its astronaut crew for the first private crewed mission to the ISS has been cleared for flight.

The crew includes pilot Larry Connor, mission commander, retired NASA astronaut Michael Lpez-Alegra, mission specialist Mark Pathy, and mission specialist Eytan Stibbe. The mission is called Axiom Mission 1 and is scheduled to launch on February 28, 2022.

With crew members approved by NASA, the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel, and passing all medical evaluations are milestones for Axiom’s private flight. All aboard the ISS, the crew will spend eight days participating in experiments.

They will participate in a total of 25 experiments focusing on science, education, and outreach. NASA has also proved a second Axiom mission with crew to the ISS expected to happen in late 2022 or 2023.