Axiom Space has decided to change the way its commercial space station is assembled.
By modifying the order in which space station modules are launched into Earth orbit, axiomatic space The Houston-based company announced this week that it will begin operating the free-flight platform as soon as 2028.
Axiom had previously planned to start operating its private space station 2030, so the new plan moves the time forward by two years.
NASA awarded Axiom Space a contract in 2020 to install one or more modules into international space station (The International Space Station) will be decommissioned as soon as 2030. The original plan called for Axiom to detach a multi-module group from the International Space Station, in low earth orbit The International Space Station will continue to operate after it disappears. But that plan has now changed.
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“Our ongoing evaluation of assembly sequences reveals opportunities for flexibility and enhancement,” Mark Greeley, Axiom Station project manager and chief operating officer, said in a report Company statement on December 18. “The International Space Station needs to protect its capacity to accommodate the space station Deorbiting vehicle On site, we were able to expedite this work to support the requirements of the program.
To create the space station, Axiom plans to launch five modules: a payload/power/heat element, an airlock, a research/manufacturing center, and a pair of habitat modules. Axiom’s initial plan was to launch the Habitat 1 module to the International Space Station first, and then launch other components.
The new assembly sequence will launch the payload, power supply and thermal module to the International Space Station first. According to the company, the module could be detached from the space station as a free vehicle called Axiom Station as early as 2028.
After this, Axiom will continue to assemble the outpost and launch Habitat 1 modules to rendezvous with it. Habitat 1 will be followed by the airlock, the Habitat 2 module, and then the research and manufacturing facilities.
“The updated assembly sequence has been coordinated with NASA to support NASA and Axiom Space’s needs and plans for a smooth transition to low-Earth orbit,” said Angela Hart, NASA commercial low-Earth orbit development program manager. johnson space center in houston, stated in an agency statement.
The new assembly sequence will help Axiom leave the International Space Station faster, meaning Axiom will be able to support free-flight operations faster than original plans allowed. It also secures space on the International Space Station for a planned SpaceX deorbit vehicle that would allow the giant outpost to land Controlled destruction of Earth’s atmosphere Around 2030.
“Our goal is to ensure a smooth transition from a government platform to a commercial platform and maintain a continued human presence in orbit to serve our global customer and partner community, including NASA,” Greeley said in the Axiom statement.
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Houston, Axiom Space April 2021 Ax-1 Missionwhen the company became the first to fly an all-private citizen flight to the International Space Station.
As the International Space Station approaches retirement, A new era of private space stations SpaceX, Blue Origin, Sierra Space and others hope to play a role in the coming years.