admin In last week, NASA and Axiom Space shared a news that NASA has selected Axiom Space of Houston to provide at least one habitable commercial module to be attached to the International Space Station as NASA continues working towards opening up the International Space Station (ISS) for commercial use.
With this announcement, a first step for developing independent commercial destinations that work with NASA’s long-term needs for low-Earth orbit exploration has started.
Houston-based Axiom Space won NASA’s NextSTEP-2 Appendix solicitation, which grants the company access to the ISS’ Node 2 Forward port for the module.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said that this announcement is an exciting and welcome step forward in the efforts to commercialize low-Earth orbit.
The next steps are for NASA and Axiom Space to negotiate the terms and the cost of a firm-fixed-price contract.
Axiom Space wins NASA approval for construction of commercial space station on ISS
To the ISS’ Node 2 forward port, Axiom Space’s module will attach itself and the aim is to provide products and services while starting the transition to a sustainable low-Earth orbit economy; whereas NASA will be one of its primary customers.
NASA’s plan to open the ISS to new commercial and marketing opportunities includes five elements. One of these elements is the development of commercial destinations in low-Earth orbit, and this is where Axiom Space comes in with their module.
Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator said, “Axiom’s work to develop a commercial destination in space is a critical step for NASA to meet its long-term needs for astronaut training, scientific research, and technology demonstrations in low-Earth orbit.”
This selection is a historic step toward enabling the development of independent commercial destinations that meet NASA’s long-terms needs in low-Earth orbit, beyond the life of the space station, and continue to foster the growth of a robust low-Earth orbit economy.
Source: www.nasa.gov
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