NASA and AXIOM To Send First Private Astronauts to ISS

As the possibilities of private space travel becomes more real every day, NASA announced that it had contracted with company AXIOM to send the first private astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) by no earlier than January 2022.

Both AXIOM and NASA showed enthusiasm for the broadening of the marketplace to accommodate more people for the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program, to have customers other than just NASA. AXIOM plans to purchase supplies, delivery, and storage from NASA, while NASA will purchase from AXIOM the capability to return scientific samples that must be kept cold until its return to Earth.

As NASA seeks to expand the Low-Earth Orbit area for commercial activities to include research on the effects of the space environment on humans, technology, and flight, AXIOM contract is highly celebrated and welcome. Even after the ISS retires, NASA hopes to keep the area open for commercial viability.

It is interesting to note, that NASA does not wish to play the marketplace ruler so much as it would like to have the private sector lead within the market place, and NASA a market participant.

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