Axiom reveals private crew paying $55 million each for a trip to the space station
An American entrepreneur and Canadian and Israeli investors will make up the first entirely private mission to the International Space Station.
- She has a master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University.
An illustration of Axiom modules connected to the International Space Station.
Three civilians could be headed to the International Space Station. Houston-based space tourism company Axiom Space said Tuesday it will send a crew of three private citizens, plus its vice president and former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, to the ISS for an eight-day stay, no earlier than January 2022.
The crew includes American entrepreneur and investor Larry Connor, who will be the pilot; Canadian philanthropist and investor Mark Pathy; and Eytan Stibbe, a former Israeli Air Force pilot who's also an investor and philanthropist. To get to the ISS, they'll hitch a ride on the SpaceX Crew Dragon.
The crew will live aboard the US segment of the ISS during their proposed mission and participate in research and philanthropic projects, according to Axiom. Some of the proposed collaborations include work with the Mayo Clinic, the Montreal Children's Hospital and the Canadian Space Agency. Stibbe also plans to conduct scientific experiments of Israeli researchers and entrepreneurs coordinated by the Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency, the space company said.
"As much as any astronaut who has come before them, the members of this crew have accomplished the sorts of things in life that equip them to accept that responsibility, act on that revelation, and make a truly global impact," López-Alegría said in a statement.
The crew (from left): Michael López-Alegría, Mark Pathy, Larry Connor and Eytan Stibbe.
Axiom plans to offer a new commercial gateway to space, allowing researchers, manufacturers and wealthy tourists, among others, to visit orbit for work or pleasure.
In 2018, The New York Times reported that the price tag for a trip like this would be $55 million per person, and cover 15 weeks of training.
Last year, NASA said it would attach a private room to rent onto the ISS, provided by Axiom.