Axiom Space
Axiom Space, Inc., also known as Axiom, is an American privately funded aerospace manufacturer and orbital spaceflight services company headquartered in Houston, Texas. Founded in 2016 by Michael T. Suffredini and Kam Ghaffarian, the company is planning commercial missions in late 2021 to the International Space Station and aims to own and operate the world's first commercial space station. The company's leadership team is largely composed of former NASA employees, including former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Other notable leaders at the company include astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria and Brent W. Jett Jr.
As NASA shifts human spaceflight aspirations beyond low Earth orbit, Axiom's goal is to create the commercial infrastructure necessary to push humanity forward in space. The company outlines broad commercial activities including human spaceflight for national and private astronauts, in-space research and manufacturing, and space exploration support.
History
Axiom Space CEO Michael T. Suffredini was previously the program manager for the International Space Station from 2005-2015. After retiring from NASA, Suffredini and Kam Ghaffarian started Axiom to target the emerging commercial spaceflight market. Ghaffarian is an engineer and entrepreneur who sold his company, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc., a large NASA contractor, to KBR in 2018.The company was selected by NASA to provide the first commercial destination module on the International Space Station. Axiom also announced a contract with SpaceX to fly commercial astronauts to the International Space Station via Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon scheduled for late 2021. This spacecraft was launched on May 2020 as part of the Commercial Crew Program with Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken as astronauts.
The company has 60 employees as of 2020, with offices located in Houston and Los Angeles.
NASA partnership
In 2020, NASA awarded Axiom a $140 million contract to provide at least one habitable spacecraft to attach to the International Space Station. Axiom was the only selected proposal from the solicitation process due in 2019. Bigelow Aerospace did not submit a proposal and has subsequently ceased operations. In the announcement, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine stated that Axiom's commercial destination will be a critical destination for NASA's "astronaut training, scientific research, and technology demonstrations in low-Earth orbit." NASA's goal to further commercialize low Earth orbit and this Appendix I solicitation won by Axiom is a part of the broader Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships initiative to spur public-private partnership innovation in cislunar space. The announcement won praise from Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, the two senators representing Axiom's home state of Texas.The module constructed by Axiom will attach to the Harmony forward port and demonstrate its ability to commercially provide services and products in the low Earth orbit economy. Axiom has given limited technical details, however, it is known that the "Axiom Segment" of the station will include a node module, research and manufacturing facility, crew habitat and “large-windowed” module for viewing the Earth.
Axiom Station
Axiom Station will have its spacecraft modules individually launched and assembled in-orbit, first attaching to the International Space Station. Before ISS retirement, the company plans to detach its modules and commence orbit on its own as Axiom Station. Axiom renderings show in detail how modules will attach to the ISS and are relocated by the Mobile Servicing System, specifically the Canadarm2. The company targets the mid-2020s for its first module to attach to the ISS and the late-2020s for station completion. Axiom plans for its station to be the first private space station in-orbit.Upon ISS retirement, Axiom Station will be separated from the ISS and joined by additional elements, including a power and thermal module with an airlock. Axiom plans to conduct astronaut training for commercial astronauts, to host governments and commercial partners, as well as private astronauts. Up to three Axiom modules will attach to the International Space Station. The first module could be launched as soon as 2024 and will docked to the forward port of Harmony, requiring relocation of the of PMA-2. Axiom Space plans to attach up to two additional modules to its first core module, and send private astronauts to inhabit the modules.
The interior of Axiom Station is designed by French architect and designer, Philippe Starck. Renderings of the habitat show a chamber with walls that are covered with tufted padding and studded with hundreds of color-changing LEDs. Axiom will maintain at least one astronaut in the station continuously, who will be able to take care of research projects and station repairs. The station will have amenities including high-speed Wi-Fi, video screens, picture windows and a glass-walled cupola — which Axiom calls "the largest window observatory ever constructed for the space environment."
Business plan
Human spaceflight
Axiom plans to provide human spaceflight services to individuals, corporations, and space agencies. Missions to the International Space Station are offered by Axiom, with a 10-day mission including 15 weeks of training. In addition to training, Axiom states that the package will include mission planning, hardware development, life support, medical support, crew provisions, hardware and safety certifications, or-orbit operations, and mission management. Axiom's customers will orbit the Earth with national astronauts from ISS member nations, joining the short list of humans to view Earth from space and experience the Overview effect. Missions will extend for longer periods of time depending on the focus of the spaceflight. NASA has indicated it and other space agencies will purchase missions to the ISS as NASA's human spaceflight focus shifts to the Moon, Mars, and deeper into the Solar System. To capture the human spaceflight market, Axiom is positioning itself to be a full mission provider at the national level, which would transition from the ISS currently to Axiom's commercial station upon ISS retirement. SpaceX is a confirmed transportation partner for Axiom, and the CST-100 Starliner from Boeing could also launch private and professional astronauts for Axiom. Suffredini, the company's CEO, touts his team's experience in human spaceflight as a key determinant for being qualified to offer missions with senior leaders being involved in every mission to ISS since its inception.In June 2020, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine mentioned on a podcast that Axiom is involved with the filming of a Tom Cruise movie to the ISS. It has been previously reported that SpaceX will be the transportation partner for the mission.
In-space research and manufacturing
Historically, most in-space research has been on the ISS National Lab, which has a mission to perform scientific inquiry into life sciences, physical sciences, technology development, and remote sensing for a broad range of organizations in orbit. Axiom plans to use some of the valuable discoveries from ISS National Lab and build on its heritage with a commercial slant. To date, hundreds of companies have sent various projects to ISS for research. In low Earth orbit, weaker gravitational forces allow for novelties impossible to replicate on Earth. Jim Bridenstine and other leaders have referenced breakthroughs in manufacturing of materials such as fiber optics for data communications and protein crystallization in biotech. Scientific observations of research domains like combustion, convection, sedimentation, fluid dynamics, and materials science show how conventional terrestrial research gets turned on its head in microgravity. Emerging research into nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, and in situ research utilization will require and use in-orbit laboratories to conduct experimentation.ISS National Lab has proven that removing the input of gravity from conventional manufacturing processes has demonstrated promise and will be a key component of Axiom's commercial space station. Axiom plans to first launch missions to ISS National Lab, prior to Axiom's modules being assembled in the mid-2020s. Axiom plans to commercially broaden the in-space research and manufacturing ecosystem and has hired leaders from ISS National Lab and other organizations. Other companies collectively pursuing the future of in-space manufacturing include NanoRacks, Made in Space, and Space Tango.