In a not too distant future we plan to send people on vacation into orbit, and therefore NASA is getting organized and has decided to start the construction of the first commercial space station in the world. It will initially dock with the ISS, the International Space Station, but unlike the latter it will not host astronauts but tourists, in a habitable module which will be anchored to Node 2 (Harmony) of the ISS to offer a comfortable environment for those who choose to spend a few (expensive) day off in orbit about 400 km away from the Earth.
The suggestive mission was entrusted to the Texan company Axiom Space, with a five-year contract, with an option for the next two, to start the development of two pressurized modules. However, there is also some Made in Italy in the operation, given that Thales Alenia Space (33% owned by Leonardo and 67% by the French company Thales) will be responsible for the design, development, assembly and testing of the primary structure and the system of protection from micro meteorites and debris for both the Axiom Node One (AxN1) and for the Habitation Module (AxH), the first two elements put into orbit of the Axiom station.
The new modules for commercial purposes will be connected to the ISS as early as the second half of 2024 (but the first launch is expected in October 2021), thus creating a new "Axiom segment", an area which in the meantime will expand the usable volume and habitable area of the ISS. When the International Space Station ends its operational life, at that point the Axiom segment it will detach and operate as an autonomous commercial space station. The modules of the Axiom segment will be connected to Node 2 of the ISS, the latter also built by Thales Alenia Space.
“Thanks to his unparalleled expertise in the construction of pressurized modules – commented Walter Cugno, Vice President Space and Exploration of Thales Alenia Space -, Thales Alenia Space is an irreplaceable partner for all human and deep space exploration missions. I am confident that this collaboration with Axiom will break new ground in revolutionizing human presence in low Earth orbit.”
“This mission – added Massimo Comparini, Chief Executive Officer of Thales Alenia Space Italia – is an important step towards independent commercial space destinations and also towards the promotion of a strong and competitive economic growth linked to the use of Earth orbit low. The synergy with the entire space ecosystem, from government institutions to international agencies and private companies, places Thales Alenia Space at the very heart of the industrial system. Together with our partner Axiom, we are excited to take part in this new initiative aimed at developing a new market based on commercial space destinations.”
“The legacy represented by the solid structure of the International Space Station – he finally said Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space and NASA's ISS Program Manager from 2005 to 2015 – is for us a reason for safety and reliability despite the enormous technical complexity of the program. We are delighted to be able to combine Axiom's experience in human spaceflight with that of Thales Alenia Space to build the next phase of human settlement in low Earth orbit, starting from an already proven foundation. The first two modules of the Axiom Commercial Space Station will serve as the starting point for a prosperous commercial future in space.”
