Ax-1 Mission: A SpaceX capsule carrying three paying customers and a former NASA astronaut arrived at the International Space Station (ISS), finishing the first leg of this first-of-its-kind mission that will last about 10 days.
Key Highlights:
- Onboard this mission is Michael Lopez-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut turned Axiom employee who is commanding the mission; Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe; Canadian investor Mark Pathy; and Ohio-based real estate magnate Larry Connor.
- The Ax-1 mission, which was organized by Houston Company Axiom Space, is flying on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour.
- The mission was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
- The spacecraft, which separated from the rocket after reaching orbit, spent about 20 hours free-flying through orbit as it maneuvered closer to the ISS.
About Ax-1:
- Axiom Mission 1 (or Ax-1) is a private crew mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
- It is operated by Axiom Space out of Axiom Space's Mission Control Center (or MCC-A) in Houston, TX.
- The flight was launched on 8 April 2022, from Kennedy Space Center.
Axiom Space:
- Axiom Space was founded in 2016 with the goal of creating the world's first commercial space station.
