Axiom Orbital Segment or Axiom Segment (or AxS) are the planned modular components of the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...

(ISS) designed by

Axiom Space Axiom Space, Inc., also known as Axiom, is an American privately funded space infrastructure developer headquartered in Houston, Texas. Founded in 2016 by Michael T. Suffredini and Kam Ghaffarian, the company first flew a spaceflight in 20 ...

for commercial space activities. Axiom Space gained initial

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

approval for the venture in January 2020. Axiom Space was later awarded the contract by NASA on February 28, 2020. This orbital station will be separated from the ISS to become its own

modular space station A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a human crew in orbit for an extended period of time, and is therefore a type of space habitat. It lacks major propulsion or landing systems. An orbital station or an orbital space station is ...

, Axiom Station, after the ISS is decommissioned.

Axiom Segment

At least four Axiom modules will attach to the International Space Station. The first module is scheduled to be launched in late 2025 and would dock to the forward port of ''Harmony'', requiring relocation of

Pressurized Mating Adapter The Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA) is a class of spacecraft adapters that convert the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) used on the US Orbital Segment to APAS-95 docking ports. There are three PMAs located on the International Space Station (IS ...

(PMA-2) to any other ports on ISS like Harmony

nadir The nadir (, ; ar, نظير, naẓīr, counterpart) is the direction pointing directly ''below'' a particular location; that is, it is one of two vertical directions at a specified location, orthogonal to a horizontal flat surface. The direc ...

. Axiom Space plans to attach at least three additional modules to its first core module, and send private astronauts to inhabit the modules. Axiom renderings illustrate how the four modules might attach to the ISS as they are berthed and relocated by the

Mobile Servicing System The Mobile Servicing System (MSS), is a robotic system on board the International Space Station (ISS). Launched to the ISS in 2001, it plays a key role in station assembly and maintenance; it moves equipment and supplies around the station, supp ...

using

Canadarm2 The Mobile Servicing System (MSS), is a robotic system on board the International Space Station (ISS). Launched to the ISS in 2001, it plays a key role in station assembly and maintenance; it moves equipment and supplies around the station, supp ...

Axiom Station

The company released preliminary plans in February 2020 for how the Axiom Orbital Segment could form the basis for the Axiom Station, a potential future space station, constructed out of the Axiom Segment and additional elements upon ISS retirement and separation, including a power and thermal module with an

airlock An airlock, air-lock or air lock, often abbreviated to just lock, is a compartment with doors which can be sealed against pressure which permits the passage of people and objects between environments of differing pressure or atmospheric compo ...

. The company plans to launch its first module to the ISS in 2025, with the second, third and fourth launching in 2026, 2027 and 2028 respectively. The interior concept of the crew quarters of Axiom Orbital Segment was designed by French architect and designer

Philippe Starck Philippe Starck (; born 18 January 1949) is a French industrial architect and designer known for his wide range of designs, including interior design, architecture, household objects, furniture, boats and other vehicles. Life Starck was born on ...

. Renderings of the habitat show a chamber with walls that are covered with tufted padding and studded with hundreds of color-changing LEDs. The Axiom Orbital Segment will have amenities including high-speed Wi-Fi, video screens, picture windows and a glass-walled cupola — which Axiom calls "the largest window observatory ever constructed for the space environment". Each Axiom Station module is an independent spacecraft equipped with all the systems needed to maneuver in orbit - propulsion among them.

Planned modules

AxH1

Axiom's first module, Hab One, is expected to launch in late 2025. It will provide quarters for four crew members and volume to accommodate research and manufacturing applications, is the nucleus of future human activity in Earth's orbit. Each personal crew quarter is equipped with a large Earth-viewing window and touch-screen comms panel. A docking adapter allows visiting vehicles to dock to the Axiom Station; four radial ports on the Hub provide for the addition of future modules and increase the station's docking capability. It will have propulsion, guidance, navigation and station control systems.

AxSEE-1

Axiom Space plans to manufacture the SEE-1 module for the British company ''Space Entertainment Enterprise'' (or S.E.E.). It is planned to be a six meter spherical inflatable module and to fulfill the purpose of a first entertainment studio in space. SEE-1 is currently expected to launch after AxH1 arrives at the ISS. The directors of SEE,

Dmitry Lesnevsky Dmitry Anatolyevich Lesnevskiy (b. February 2, 1970) is a Russian-British-Israeli entrepreneur and producer in television, film, publishing and online media. Early life Dmitry Lesnevskiy was born in a Jewish family. He graduated from Moscow State ...

and Elena Lesnevsky, have additionally been pursuing film shootings for a future movie with

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...

at the station.

AxH2

Axiom's Hab Two module is expected to launch in 2026. It will provide quarters for an additional four crew members allowing the station to support up to eight crew. It provides completes

ECLSS A life-support system is the combination of equipment that allows survival in an environment or situation that would not support that life in its absence. It is generally applied to systems supporting human life in situations where the outsid ...

support, commercial high data satellite communications and a Canadarm 3 styled

Remote manipulator system Canadarm or Canadarm1 (officially Shuttle Remote Manipulator System or SRMS, also SSRMS) is a series of robotic arms that were used on the Space Shuttle orbiters to deploy, manoeuvre, and capture payloads. After the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' ...

for the Axiom Station.

AxRMF

Axiom's Research & Manufacturing Facility module is expected to launch no earlier than 2026. It provides access to the unique microgravity environment as a platform to conduct innovative research, product development, process improvement, and manufacturing.

AxEO

Axiom's Earth Observatory will be a glass-walled cupola planned to launch in 2026.

AxPT

Axiom's Power Thermal module will provide power and thermal capacity equivalent to that of the ISS via solar array to support the station so that Axiom Station will be able to support itself once it disconnects from the ISS. It is expected to launch no earlier than 2027. Until AxPT is launched, Axiom Station will be relying on the ISS to help provide power. AxPT also adds EVA capability to the station.

AxPLM

Leonardo Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate ...

'' may be used on Axiom Station after the

ISS The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (J ...

is decommissioned.

Construction

Manufacturing

Axiom Space signed a contract with

Thales Alenia Space Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufacture ...

for Thales Alenia to manufacture and test the primary structure and the

Micrometeoroid A micrometeoroid is a tiny meteoroid: a small particle of rock in space, usually weighing less than a gram. A micrometeorite is such a particle that survives passage through Earth's atmosphere and reaches Earth's surface. The term "micrometeoroid ...

Debris Debris (, ) is rubble, wreckage, ruins, litter and discarded garbage/refuse/trash, scattered remains of something destroyed, or, as in geology, large rock fragments left by a melting glacier, etc. Depending on context, ''debris'' can refer to ...

Protection System (or MDPS) for both AxH1 and AxH2. Thales Alenia Space is already in the process of machining the primary structure of AxH1. With the completion of the Manufacturing Readiness Review on September 21, 2021, Thales Alenia was able to begin welding the cone panels of AxH1. The primary structure for AxH1 is expected to be delivered from Italy to Houston, TX in early 2023 where Axiom Space will complete assembly and integration of all systems before launch.

Assembly

There have been no announcements as to which rocket will carry the AxS modules into

Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never mor ...

. The first module, AxH1, is planned to attach onto the forward port of

Harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

. The SEE-1 module is planned to berth on one of the radial ports of AxH1. AxH2 will then berth on the forward port of AxH1. AxPT is planned to berth on the Zenith port of either AxH1 or AxH2. As Axiom Station is a

the modules may be moved to different ports as needed.

Purpose

Scientific research

Axiom Station is planned to have a lab module, AxRMF, to provide opportunities for

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manufacturing

Commercial station

Axiom Station is also planned to have space for general commercial use, such as the SEE-1 entertainment module.

References

External links

* https://www.axiomspace.com/axiom-station {{Hotel-stub category: proposed hotels

Axiom Station Axiom Orbital Segment or Axiom Segment (or AxS) are the planned modular components of the International Space Station (ISS) designed by Axiom Space for commercial space activities. Axiom Space gained initial NASA approval for the venture in J ...

category: destination resorts category: space tourism category: components of the International Space Station Axiom Space