Axiom Space's Ax-1 is just an hour before its estimated launch schedule. The upcoming commercial spaceflight is expected to blast off from Kennedy Space Center on Friday, Apr. 8, at exactly 11:17 a.m.
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket on launch Pad 39A ahead of the scheduled Axiom-1 launch on April 7, 2022 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Axiom Space is managing the first fully private crew on an 10-day mission to the International Space Station. Commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria.
The U.S. Space Force says that the weather is around 80% favorable for the space agency's new mission to the International Space Station.
Thanks to the help of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and SpaceX, the American private space agency's Ax-1 can soon reach ISS.
According to Florida Today's latest report, Axiom Space's commercial spaceflight will bring four individuals to the giant space station.
Why Axiom Space's Ax-1 ISS Launch is Different
NBC News reported that the upcoming Ax-1 mission is quite different from the recent commercial spaceflights.
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket on launch Pad 39A ahead of the scheduled Axiom-1 launch on April 7, 2022 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Axiom Space is managing the first fully private crew on an 10-day mission to the International Space Station. Commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria.
Also Read: SpaceX To Send Axiom Space Ax-1 Crew Into Orbit! Launch Date, Spaceflight Price, and More
Instead of involving only one paying customer accompanied by professional astronauts, Axiom Space's new launch will include four civilian passengers.
"In the case of the Ax-1 mission, it's very different in that the entire crew [is] unaffiliated with any government," said the space agency's operations director, Derek Hassman.
The upcoming Ax-1 mission will include the following individuals:
- Mark Pathy (A Canadian businessman)
- Eytan Stibbe (A former fighter pilot from Israel)
- Larry Connor (An American real estate investor)
- Michael Lopez-Alegria (A former NASA astronaut who is now living as a regular American citizen)
Ax-1 To Change Commercial Spaceflights?
Lopez-Alegria said that Ax-1 would change how humans approach space exploration and space mission progress. Since all passengers are civilians, many experts said that Axiom Space's ISS flight would be the start of low-Earth orbit commercial spaceflights.
On the other hand, the private space company said that it is considering conducting more similar space launches in the near future. Specifically, Axiom Space is planning to send three more commercial flights to the International Space Station.
Meanwhile, the new Amazon Project Kuiper arrival is expected to compete with the current SpaceX Starlink service.
On the other hand, NASA's new SpinLaunch partnership is expected to test the payload delivery service.
For more news updates about Axiom Space and its upcoming commercial spaceflights, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
Related Article: NASA Approves Axiom Space Ax-1 Mission's Official Astronauts! But, Actual Space Activities Still Under Review
This article is owned by TechTimes
Written by: Griffin Davis
