NASA launched he first ever all private SpaceX flight to ISS

NASA launched he first ever all private SpaceX flight to ISS on Friday, 8th April.

The Mission

The Axiom-1 — Ax-1 — the crew is the first all-commercial non-government flight to the station and the first sanctioned by NASA.

The mission is the first to go to the space station on which all of the passengers are private citizens. It is the first time that NASA has collaborated in arranging a space tourism visit. The flight marked a pivotal moment in efforts to spur space travel by commercial enterprises, NASA officials said.

The Crew

The astronauts were strapped into a Crew Dragon capsule atop the rocket. Axiom-1 mission commander Michael Lopéz-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut and vice president at the Houston-based company Axiom Space. His first crewmates was Ohio investor Larry Connor. The second was Canadian entrepreneur Mark Pathy. Third was Israeli Eytan Stibbe, a former F-16 fighter pilot and businessman.

Flight details

The price for the trip was $55 million each. Axiom hired SpaceX to provide the transportation — a Falcon 9 rocket with a Crew Dragon capsule. It is the same system that takes NASA astronauts to and from the station.

The Falcon 9 thundered to life at 11:17 a.m. EDT on 8th April. It then vaulted skyward from historic pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Further climbing away to the northeast into clear blue skies following a smooth countdown.

They are scheduled to dock at the space station early Saturday.

For this flight, Axiom and SpaceX are in charge of the mission from launch until the capsule enters the vicinity of the space station.

Training and activities

In some areas, the Axiom-1 crew members underwent much of the same training as NASA astronauts. Especially for safety procedures and everyday living in orbit.

When they board the space station, the Axiom visitors will receive an orientation of what to do in various emergencies. They will also learn how to use facilities.

After that, the Axiom astronauts will go off and do their own activities. It will include 25 scientific experiments they plan to conduct during the eight days on the space station. The experiments include medical work planned with institutions like the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic and Montreal Children’s Hospital. The Axiom astronauts will also conduct some technology demonstrations like self-assembling robots. It could be used to build future spacecraft in space.