|
Author
|
Topic: [Discuss] Axiom's Ax-2 mission to ISS
|
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49879
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 05-25-2021 10:15 AM
   
Please use this topic to discuss Axiom Space's second private crewed mission (Ax-2) to the International Space Station. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49879
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 05-25-2021 10:17 AM
From Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson (via Twitter): Out of this world excited about being named Commander of the Axiom 2 flight to the International Space Station!! I am looking forward to showing my pilot, John Shoffner, some space ninja secrets too. In addition to Whitson and Shoffner, the winner of Discovery Channel's proposed Who Wants to be an Astronaut? is slated to fly on Ax-2, too. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49879
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 05-25-2021 12:42 PM
John Shoffner formed J2-Racing with his wife, Janine, in 2012. John was a driver for the team with multiple class wins and podium finishes in both Carrera cup and GT3 class.J2 Racing's Mercedes-AMG GT3 is sponsored by Axiom Space:  
|
Delta7
Member Posts: 1718
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 05-25-2021 06:15 PM
Maybe Whitson and Shoffner will fly with Tom Cruise and Doug Liman. Rex Walheim is also now with Axiom. Whitson's backup/commander of mission no. 3? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49879
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 05-25-2021 07:02 PM
As noted above, three of the four seats on Ax-2 are reserved: Whitson, Shoffner and the winner of "Who Wants to be an Astronaut?"From Shoffner (via Twitter): Just hanging around with my commander Peggy Whitson. The training for Ax-2 has officially begun.  
|
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49879
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 01-19-2022 08:40 AM
Per today's meeting of the NASA Advisory Council's Human Exploration and Operations Committee, the launch of Axiom 2 is now targeted for early 2023, rather than late this year. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49879
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 09-20-2022 02:18 PM
Saudi Arabia is planning to launch two astronauts to the International Space Station, reporters Reuters. The sources, speaking anonymously to discuss the mission's crew before its formal announcement, said the deal was signed privately earlier this year with Houston's Axiom Space, which arranges and manages private missions to space on U.S. spacecraft for researchers and tourists.Under the deal, two Saudi astronauts will ride SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule to the space station for a roughly weeklong stay early next year, the sources said. The Saudis would be the first from their country to go into space aboard a private spacecraft. |
SkyMan1958
Member Posts: 1269
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011
|
posted 09-20-2022 11:03 PM
Given that the Saudis got two seats on AX-2, I take it that whoever wanted to be an astronaut either got canned or pushed back to another flight. |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1718
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 01-24-2023 03:08 PM
I'm curious as to what Axiom's plan is for the subsequent Axiom missions, being that NASA set the rule that each of their missions to the ISS be commanded by a (former) NASA astronaut who has flown to the ISS. Have they, or are they planning to, recruit more former astronauts, or will Mike L.A. and Peggy Whitson take turns going forward? The only other former astronaut that I'm aware is employed by Axiom is Rex Walheim. Is he a potential commander? |
brianjbradley
Member Posts: 150
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2010
|
posted 01-25-2023 09:31 AM
Be great to see Rex Walheim in that rotation! |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49879
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 01-30-2023 04:44 PM
Axiom Space held a media roundtable today (Jan. 30) and I asked Mike Suffredini about the company's astronaut ranks and whether they were actively hiring more former astronauts. His reply: Without saying too much. I'll just tell you that we will have the right professional astronauts available to fly the flights that require it. |
SkyMan1958
Member Posts: 1269
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011
|
posted 01-30-2023 06:21 PM
While the Crew Dragon may be relatively simple to learn to fly, from all I've seen it still takes about 6 months to train to fly the Dragon. Given that Axiom is a business, I can't imagine that they'd train too many extra ex-astronauts. I assume there will be more than the two that flew/fly Axiom 1 and 2, as I believe those two ex-astronauts have some sort of management role in Axiom, but I can't imagine that there would be many more. |
advertisement