Axiom Space

Axiom Space, Inc. is an American privately funded company that builds and supports space projects. It is based in Houston, Texas, and was started in 2016 by Michael T. Suffredini and Kam Ghaffarian.

In 2022, Axiom Space made history with its first spaceflight called Axiom Mission 1. This was the first time people who were not part of a government space program flew to the International Space Station together. The company wants to build and run its own space station that anyone can use in the late 2020s.

Axiom Space has sent its first commercial astronauts into space. They plan to help more people, both from governments and private companies, travel to space. These trips will be used for doing science experiments, making new things in space, and exploring the universe. The company’s team includes experienced astronauts like Michael Lopez-Alegria, Peggy Whitson, and Koichi Wakata.

History

Michael T. Suffredini, who used to manage the International Space Station, helped start Axiom Space after leaving NASA. Together with Kam Ghaffarian, they wanted to create new ways for people to travel to space for business.

In 2022, Axiom Space sent its first group of astronauts to the space station using a spaceship from SpaceX. This was the first time a private company sent people to the space station.

Axiom Space plans to build its own space station in the future. In 2025, they got help from a company in Hungary to make this happen.

NASA contract for ISS modules

In 2020, NASA gave Axiom Space a big job worth US$140 million. This job was part of a plan called Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships, or NextSTEP. Axiom Space was the only company chosen for this job in 2019. They were asked to build a special room, called a habitable spacecraft, to connect to the International Space Station (ISS).

Axiom Space plans to build different parts for their own space station. These parts include a connector, a place for research, a home for astronauts, and a big window to look at Earth. In December 2024, they changed their plans. Now, they will first send up a module called the Payload Power Thermal Module (PPTM) to connect to the ISS. After that, in 2028, this module will move to join another module called Habitat One (Hab-1) in its own orbit.

Axiom Station

Main article: Axiom Station

A company named Axiom Space wants to build its own space station called Axiom Station. They plan to send parts one at a time to put the station together in space. The first part might launch in 2027, and they hope to finish the whole station by the late 2020s or early 2030s. After sending the second part, the station will leave the International Space Station and float alone.

A French architect designed the inside of Axiom Station in 2018. It will have cozy walls, bright lights, fast internet, video screens, large windows, and a special room with glass walls. Axiom Space plans to always have an astronaut on board to do research and make any needed repairs.

Human spaceflight

Axiom Space offers human spaceflight services for people, companies, and space agencies. They take people to the International Space Station for 10 days. Before the trip, there is 15 weeks of training. This training includes planning, building equipment, and safety checks.

In June 2020, NASA was working with a movie star named Tom Cruise to film a movie at the ISS. SpaceX was expected to help with the travel.

In-space research and manufacturing

Axiom Space plans to do special research in space. They will use the very low gravity there. They will work with the ISS National Lab until they can build their own space modules.

Missions

In early June 2021, Axiom Space announced a deal with SpaceX for three more trips with people to the ISS, making a total of four trips.

Ax-1

Ax-2

Main article: Axiom Mission 2

Ax-2 was a trip with people to the ISS. The flight took off on May 21, 2023 and took four people to the ISS. On May 25, 2021, Axiom Space said that former NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson would lead the mission and John Shoffner would help lead it. Two astronauts from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi were also on the trip as special helpers.

Ax-3

Main article: Axiom Mission 3

Ax-3 was a trip with people to the ISS. The flight took off on January 18, 2024 and took four people to the ISS. Former NASA Astronaut Michael López-Alegría led the mission and Walter Villadei helped lead it. Two astronauts from Turkey and Sweden, Alper Gezeravcı and Marcus Wandt were also on the trip as special helpers.

Ax-4

Main article: Axiom Mission 4

Ax-4 was a trip with people to the ISS. The flight took off on June 25, 2025 and took four people to the ISS, including the experienced Axiom astronaut, Commander Peggy Whitson. The crew included Indian pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and special helpers Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, from Poland, and Tibor Kapu, from Hungary.

Ax-5

Main article: Axiom Mission 5

Ax-5 is a planned trip with people to the ISS that will take off no earlier than January 2027.

Axiom Mission Control Center

In January 2022, Axiom Space’s Mission Control Center began its first science work on the International Space Station (ISS). The center is in Houston, Texas. It helped with science activities and live events for Axiom’s first private mission to the ISS in April 2022. By late 2022, it became an official partner control center for the ISS, working with NASA. In May 2023, Axiom used this center to support their second mission to the ISS with a small team of controllers.

Flights

Orbital

Axiom Space has made several trips around Earth with its spacecraft. These trips are called orbital flights. They help test new tools and learn more about space travel.

Suborbital

Axiom Space has also done shorter trips that go up and come back down quickly. These are called suborbital flights. They are used to practice and get ready for longer space missions.

Spacesuit

Main article: Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit

In 2022, NASA chose Axiom Space to make new spacesuits for astronauts. These suits will be used outside the International Space Station and on the Moon for future missions, including the Artemis missions. Another company, Collins Aerospace, was also chosen but decided to work on keeping the older suits.

Axiom Space plans to test a version of their suit in space in 2027. NASA is working with Axiom Space to help make sure everything goes well.

International collaboration

Axiom Space works with many countries to help people travel to space and do research. In 2025, they agreed to send a person from Argentina to space in 2027. In 2022, one Canadian, Mark Pathy, flew to space with them.

They have agreements with many countries such as the Czech Republic, Egypt, European Space Agency, Ghana, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. These agreements help countries send their own people to space and do important research.