updates
Four Axiom crew missions to the space station
On June 2, 2021, SpaceX said Axiom would fly three more private Dragon missions to the station through 2023, after a first flight then targeted for January 2022.
Topics: space-civilization
This page is an original Muskularity summary. It does not republish SpaceX’s full post. Figures are the company’s statements on the cited date unless another primary link is named.
Summary
SpaceX said Dragon, built for NASA’s commercial crew program, had flown three human missions to the station and could also fly private crews. Axiom had already booked a first station visit, then targeted no earlier than January 2022. On this date Axiom added three more private crew flights through 2023. In May 2021 Axiom had named Peggy Whitson as commander and John Shoffner as pilot of the second mission, Ax-2. Training would be shared by NASA and SpaceX: Falcon 9, Dragon, emergencies, suits, and simulations. The post is the deal announcement. It does not report that any of the four flights had launched.
Key facts
| Fact | Label |
|---|---|
| Three additional private missions announced, through 2023, on top of a first flight | Company announcement of a customer plan |
| First Axiom flight then targeted no earlier than January 2022 | Schedule target as stated |
| Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson and pilot John Shoffner already named by Axiom | Customer crew announcement, via SpaceX |
| Three human Dragon missions flown to the station as of the post | Company tally |
Why it matters
Axiom is the station-tourist and private-astronaut path, separate from Inspiration4, which did not dock. The dates here are 2021 targets.
On this site
Sources
- SpaceX update, June 2, 2021 — Grade A, company post
- Axiom deal release linked by SpaceX — Grade A, customer primary
- NASA biography, Peggy Whitson — Grade A, NASA
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