"We are in an incredible time for human spaceflight, with more opportunities to access space and grow a thriving commercial economy in low Earth orbit," said Dana Weigel, program manager for the International Space Station at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Weigel emphasized NASA's role in guiding the private sector through its decades of expertise in crew training, mission operations, and orbital research. "NASA remains committed to supporting this expansion by leveraging our decades of expertise to help industry gain the experience needed to train and manage crews, conduct research, and develop future destinations. Private astronaut missions are a key part of this effort, providing companies with hands-on opportunities to refine their capabilities and build partnerships that will shape the future of low Earth orbit."
The planned flights will mark the fifth and sixth private astronaut missions facilitated by NASA. The first three were carried out by Axiom Space in April 2022, May 2023, and January 2024. A fourth is scheduled for no earlier than May 2025.
Each new mission may remain docked at the ISS for a maximum of 14 days, depending on overall traffic to the station and the scheduling of onboard activities. All missions must be organized by a U.S.-based company using U.S. transportation systems that comply with NASA's safety and integration protocols for visiting spacecraft. Details are outlined in Focus Area 4A of NASA Research Announcement NNJ13ZBG001N.
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