In a three-way collaboration between Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA, a private crew will take the first-ever trip to space to spend eight days at the International Space Station.
The three men chosen for this mission, who are from different countries and have each paid $55-million for the opportunity, are Larry Connor, Eytan Stibbe, and Canadian philanthropist, Mark Pathy. "We sought to put together a crew for this historic mission that had demonstrated a lifelong commitment to improving the lives of the people on Earth, and I'm glad to say we've done that with this group," Axiom Space President and CEO Michael Suffredini said in the press release.
The first private ISS crew in the history of humankind has been assembled.
— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) January 26, 2021
Commander Michael López-Alegría
Mission Pilot Larry Connor
Mission Specialist Mark Pathy
Mission Specialist Eytan Stibbe
Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1): The start of a new era. pic.twitter.com/vBlr0ASRhj
The mission is being led by former astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and will utilize a SpaceX Crew Dragon ship. The men will undergo 15-weeks of extensive training and will need to pass medical exams before they take-off.
The Axiom Space plans to offer two private missions per year and is hoping to construct its own privately funded space station. This first trip is set to launch in January 2022.
Featured image courtesy of Pixabay via pexels.com
