All articles tagged with #private astronauts
The private Ax-4 astronauts are returning to Earth on July 14, with their undocking from the ISS scheduled for early morning, and the reentry and splashdown will be streamed live by NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space.
Axiom Space's four private astronauts successfully launched to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon, marking a milestone in commercial spaceflight and advancing plans for the future Axiom Station, with international crew members from India, Poland, and Hungary participating for the first time in over 40 years.
Virgin Galactic conducted its first suborbital mission of 2024, carrying four private astronauts for the first time along with its two pilots. The VSS Unity spaceplane reached a peak altitude of 88.8 kilometers before gliding back to a runway landing at Spaceport America in New Mexico. The company plans to end flights of its current spaceplane and shift resources into the development of its next-generation Delta class of suborbital vehicles, with commercial service expected in 2026.
Medical researchers and commercial spaceflight advocates are collaborating to study the health issues and risks associated with space travel for a more diverse population of private astronauts, who may not meet the strict medical standards used by NASA and other space agencies. The proposed Human Research Program for Civilians in Spaceflight and Space Habitation (HRP-C) aims to collect medical data and conduct research on potential spaceflight risks, focusing on informed consent and research rather than regulation. Efforts like TRISH's EXPAND initiative are also working to fill gaps in the population of space travelers, with a new focus on women. The goal is to reduce health risks for private astronauts while enabling as many people as possible to fly in space based on strong science.
The four private astronauts of the Ax-2 mission are set to return to Earth today, May 30, with an ocean splashdown scheduled for 11:02 p.m. EDT. The mission, operated by Axiom Space, launched on May 21 and arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) a day later. The private mission is commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, and the other crewmates are paying customer John Shoffner and Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, both of whom are members of Saudi Arabia's first astronaut class.
A Russian cargo ship has delivered 2.7 tons of supplies and equipment to the International Space Station, while four "private astronauts" carry out their own science agenda. The Ax-2 flight, chartered by Axiom Space, increased the space station's crew from 7 to 11. After the Ax-2 crew departs next Tuesday, SpaceX plans to follow up with a cargo launch of its own on June 3, sending up an unpiloted Dragon capsule.
A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying four private astronauts, including two members of Saudi Arabia’s inaugural astronaut class, arrived at the International Space Station after a record-setting trip to the orbiting laboratory. The crew will engage in more than 20 research investigations, science experiments, and educational outreach before returning to Earth at the end of the month.
SpaceX is set to launch four private astronauts, including two from Saudi Arabia, to the International Space Station on Sunday in a mission chartered by Axiom Space. The crew is scheduled to spend about eight days on the station, performing research and science experiments. Peggy Whitson, a decorated NASA astronaut, will lead the mission. Axiom Space is working to develop its own space station, with plans to launch its first module in 2025.
SpaceX is set to launch the Axiom-2 mission from Kennedy Space Center with a crew of four private astronauts, including the first Saudi Arabian government-sponsored astronauts. The mission is contracted with NASA and is expected to last about ten days, with eight days docked to the International Space Station. The crew will travel back to Earth for a splashdown landing off the coast of Florida. The launch is scheduled for 5:37 p.m. EDT on May 21, with a 60% chance of "go" conditions at the pad.