Axiom Space Gets Mission Order From NASA for 2nd Private Astronaut ISS Mission

Axiom Space will carry out the second private manned mission to the International Space Station in the second quarter of 2023 under a mission order signed with NASA.

Axiom Mission 2 will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and astronauts on this mission will perform outreach, scientific research and other in-orbit activities while aboard the ISS for 10 days, the space agency said Tuesday.

The company will perform the mission by securing crew supplies, storage, cargo delivery and other services from NASA through the mission specific order and will reimburse the agency for training crew members, use of facilities at two space centers and other services through Reimbursable Space Act Agreements.

Axiom Space will propose to the orbiting laboratory’s Multilateral Crew Operations Panel four astronauts and four back-up crew members to assess and select the crew for the Ax-2 mission. The selected astronauts will undergo training with NASA and SpaceX, which was contracted by Axiom to provide launch services to and from the ISS.

In December, NASA selected Axiom to conduct the Ax-2 mission.