European Nations Eager To Expand Human Low-Earth-Orbit Presence

HOUSTON—The first all-European private astronaut crew is working toward a planned 14-day visit aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to carry out more than 30 science and technology investigations.

It is anticipated they will have an economic potential as well as pay scientific dividends beyond those already afforded by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) long-standing partnership in the 15-nation, NASA-led orbital laboratory.

Axiom Space is leading its third private astronaut mission (AX-3), which is planned for launch no sooner than January from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The crew will be Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei; Turkey’s first astronaut, Alper Gezeravci, a Turkish Air Force fighter pilot; and ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden. The commander will be retired NASA astronaut Mike Lopez Alegria, Axiom’s chief astronaut.

The four crewmembers also are expected to provide human research data before, during and after their flight to expand the understanding of how the human physiology of those who are not full-time professional astronauts adapts to the microgravity environment of low-Earth orbit and responds upon returning to Earth.

Villadei termed the mission ground breaking and said it will provide a fundamental pillar for Italy’s national space policy. He spoke during a virtual Oct. 16 crew roundtable discussion hosted by Axiom Space, which is working under a $140 million NASA contract awarded in 2020 to develop the first elements of a private-sector space station successor to the ISS, which is to be retired at the end of 2030. Axiom Station and other commercial space stations under development with NASA sponsorship are to be open to a wide range of global customers.

“This mission, along with the memorandum of understanding that Italy signed with Axiom Space in 2022, will enable Italy to play a wider role with a dialogue with this sector at the European as well as the international level,” Villadei said. “I believe already that space is the frontier where we are expanding our science and technology.”

Villadei’s participation is backed by the Italian Air Force and Ministry of Defense as well as the Italian Space Agency.

Gezeravci, whose 30-year pilot’s resume includes duty as a fighter pilot as well as an airline captain, expressed a similar optimism. He noted Turkey is on the verge of celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding while also undergoing recovery from a devastating earthquake.

“This mission is going to put a remarkable footprint on our centennial,” he said. “I’m honored and humbled and grateful to my country and government, not only for myself but for the future of Turkey’s young generation.”

Wandt explained his professional experience as a military fighter and test pilot was significant in bringing together support for the mission from Sweden’s government agencies as well as its military, industry and academia. The goal is to accelerate his opportunity to launch to the ISS as a member of ESA.

“The mission is significant in a number of ways from the Swedish perspective by, together with ESA, pioneering this way of getting Europe access to space,” Wandt said. “Sweden is positioning itself and making sure we continue to be the knowledge base and the high-tech producing country that we are. From a European perspective, this mission opens up a new way of getting access to space and making sure we have a larger European presence in human space exploration.”

Axiom’s first and second private astronaut missions to the ISS spanned 17 days in April 2022 and 10 days in May 2023. Lopez Alegria led AX-1 and Peggy Whitson, the company’s director of human spaceflight and a retired NASA astronaut and biochemist, led AX-2. Each served previously as an ISS commander while with NASA. Axiom plans to continue their rotations as private astronaut commanders as it works to launch two private astronaut missions annually, but could add more commanders as business increases, Lopez-Alegria said.

His and Whitson’s backgrounds along with NASA’s desire to transition its human space exploration focus from low-Earth orbit to future deep-space missions to the Moon and Mars are helping to improve the training for private astronaut missions to the ISS provided by NASA and SpaceX, he added.

“It demonstrates how well we are working with NASA, which is a very important aspect of these private astronaut missions as we try to establish this relationship and build up our operations in mission management teams so we can seamlessly take over the commercial space station to succeed the ISS one day,” Lopez-Alegria elaborated. “We are in constant daily, hourly, minute-by-minute communications with our NASA counterparts.”

Under its agreement with NASA, Axiom is to begin assembling its Axiom Station in 2026, with the initial modules being attached to the station’s U.S. segment temporarily.