First Private Space Mission Docks Successfully

Axiom has been making headlines for a while now, beginning with its statement about replacing the ISS with a commercial space station back in 2017. The firm, headed by former NASA ISS program manager Michael Suffredini, mentioned it may be interested in repurposing chunks of the ISS for the project. But such a venture takes time, and Axiom’s first module isn’t likely to launch until late 2024, with follow-up modules launching closer to the end of this decade.

In the meantime, Axiom’s been hard at work sending the first all-private crew up to the ISS. Axiom launched what it calls the Ax-1 mission Friday morning from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using a SpaceX Dragon capsule propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket. The crew docked at the ISS at 8:29 a.m. ET Saturday. (Axiom says this part of the mission was slightly delayed as boots on the ground at NASA and SpaceX spent about 45 minutes troubleshooting a docking navigation issue.) The crew opened the SpaceX Falcon Endeavor hatch at 10:13 a.m, after which the seven-member Expedition 67 crew already aboard the ISS celebrated Ax-1’s arrival with a welcoming ceremony.

Those on the Ax-1 crew include commander and former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría (veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and one ISS mission), real estate entrepreneur Larry Connor, former Israeli fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe, and Canadian businessman and philanthropist Mark Pathy. The four will remain on the ISS for eight days while they receive samples for NASA and assist with 25 different biological and technological areas.

Once safely aboard the ISS, mission commander López-Alegría presented Connor, Stibbe, and Pathy with pins from the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) signifying the beginning of the crew’s space journey. ASE has used the pin to unite space explorers and enthusiasts for more than 30 years.

“There’s a tradition when you pass a certain boundary you become an astronaut. That happened to these three gentlemen for the first time yesterday. Now I’d like to note it officially,” López-Alegría explained as he pinned his Ax-1 crewmates. “I hope they will wear these with the pride they deserve.”

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