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NASA green-lights commercial space station module

The Axiom Space commercial module will include a large Earth observatory. [All images courtesy: Axiom Space]

 

 

"The human dream of universal access to living and working in space has drawn one step closer." At least that's what Axiom Space says, now that the Houston, Texas-based company? has been selected by NASA to provide at least one habitable commercial module to be attached to the International Space Station (ISS). Over time, the project could ultimately serve as the replacement for the ISS.

NASA announced Jan. 27 that it has selected Axiom as the winner of the NextSTEP-2 Appendix I solicitation, which sought to grant access to the ISS' Node 2 Forward port for a commercial space station. The module will attach to the space station's Node 2 forward port to demonstrate its ability to provide products and services as a viable business venture, with NASA as one of its many customers.

NASA and Axiom will now begin negotiations on the terms and price of a firm-fixed-price contract, with a five-year base performance period and a two-year option.

Developing commercial destinations in low-Earth orbit (LEO) is one of five elements of NASA's plan to open the ISS to new commercial and marketing opportunities. The other elements of the five-point plan include efforts to make station and crew resources available for commercial use through a new commercial use and pricing policy; enable private astronaut missions to the station; seek out and pursue opportunities to stimulate long-term, sustainable demand for these services; and quantify NASA's long-term demand for activities in LEO.

Axiom module connected To ISS.

 

 

Co-founded by space entrepreneur Dr. Kam Ghaffarian and former NASA ISS Program Manager Michael Suffredini, both of whom have in excess of 35 years of human spaceflight experience, Axiom plans to launch a node module, research and manufacturing facility, crew habitat, and large-windowed Earth observatory to form the "Axiom Segment" of the ISS. This new commercial platform will significantly increase the usable and habitable volume of the ISS, provide for novel avenues of research in areas such as isolation studies and Earth observation, and allow a gradual transfer of the innovative work being done on-station to prevent interruptions when the ISS is ultimately retired.

Central to the selection was the Axiom leadership team's extensive high-level expertise in human spaceflight management, space systems engineering and operations, utilization of microgravity, space finance, marketing, and law.

Team Axiom also includes Boeing, Thales Alenia Space Italy, Intuitive Machines, and Maxar Technologies.

The company says the target for the launch of the first module is in the latter half of 2024.

Axiom segment on ISS.

 

 

"This selection is a recognition of the uniquely qualified nature of the Axiom team and our commercial plan to create and support a thriving, sustainable, and American-led LEO ecosystem," said Suffredini. "Axiom exists to provide the infrastructure in space for a variety of users to conduct research, discover new technologies, test systems for exploration of the Moon and Mars, manufacture superior products for use in orbit and on the ground, and ultimately improve life back on Earth."

Ghaffarian founded Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (SGT), which grew to become NASA's second-largest engineering services provider, training NASA's astronauts and operating the ISS. These functions are now carried on by KBR, which bought SGT in 2018 and joined the Axiom team as a subcontractor on the winning proposal.

Axiom was founded in 2016 with the purpose of expanding human civilization into Earth orbit. In addition to building and launching the Axiom Segment, the company will launch crewed flights to the ISS and later the ISS/Axiom complex at a rate of about two to three flights per year. Shortly before ISS is retired, Axiom will launch its large power platform to provide the Axiom Segment power and cooling that ISS previously provided.

When the ISS reaches its decommissioning date, the Axiom Segment will detach and continue as a free-flying, internationally available commercial space station. This station will have been built at a fraction of the cost of ISS.

Sources: Axiom Space, NASA

Published February 2020

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