The human dream of universal access to living and working in space has drawn 
one step closer.

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On Monday the National Aeronautics and Space Administration selected Axiom 
Space as the winner of the NextSTEP-2 Appendix I solicitation, which sought to 
grant access to the International Space Station's Node 2 Forward port for a 
commercial space station that could ultimately serve as ISS' replacement. 

Co-founded by stalwart space entrepreneur Dr. Kam Ghaffarian and former NASA 
ISS Program Manager Michael Suffredini, both of whom have in excess of 35 years 
of human spaceflight experience, Axiom plans to launch a node module, research 
& manufacturing facility, crew habitat, and large-windowed Earth observatory to 
form the "Axiom Segment" of the ISS. This new commercial platform will 
significantly increase the usable and habitable volume of the ISS, provide for 
novel avenues of research in areas such as isolation studies and Earth 
observation, and allow a gradual transfer of the innovative work being done 
on-station to prevent interruptions when the ISS is ultimately retired.

The company targets launch of the first module in the latter half of 2024.

"We appreciate the bold decision on the part of NASA to open up a commercial 
future in Low Earth Orbit," Suffredini said. "This selection is a recognition 
of the uniquely qualified nature of the Axiom team and our commercial plan to 
create and support a thriving, sustainable, and American-led LEO ecosystem.

"Axiom exists to provide the infrastructure in space for a variety of users to 
conduct research, discover new technologies, test systems for exploration of 
the Moon and Mars, manufacture superior products for use in orbit and on the 
ground, and ultimately improve life back on Earth. As we build on the legacy 
and foundation established by the ISS Program, we look forward to working with 
NASA and the ecosystem of current and future international partners on this 
seminal effort."

Central to the selection was the Axiom leadership team's extensive high-level 
expertise in human spaceflight management, space systems engineering and 
operations, utilization of microgravity, space finance, marketing, and law. 

Ghaffarian founded Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, which rose to become NASA's 
second-largest engineering services provider, training NASA's astronauts and 
operating the ISS. These functions are now carried on by KBR, which bought SGT 
in 2018 and joined the Axiom team as a subcontractor on the winning proposal.

"A commercial platform in Earth orbit is an opportunity to mark a shift in our 
society similar to that which astronauts undergo when they see the planet from 
above," Ghaffarian, Axiom's executive chairman, said. "Our goal is to advance 
the state of humanity and human knowledge. I am glad to see the Axiom team, 
with its advanced human spaceflight, engineering, and operations expertise, 
recognized for its potential to do just that and build off of ISS."

Team Axiom also includes Boeing, Thales Alenia Space Italy, Intuitive Machines, 
and Maxar Technologies.

Axiom was founded in 2016 with the purpose of expanding human civilization into 
Earth orbit. In addition to building and launching the Axiom Segment, the 
company will launch crewed flights to the ISS and later the ISS/Axiom complex 
at a rate of about two to three flights per year.  Shortly before ISS is 
retired, Axiom will launch its large power platform to provide the Axiom 
Segment power and cooling that ISS previously provided. 

When the ISS reaches its decommissioning date, the Axiom Segment will detach 
and continue as a free-flying, internationally available commercial space 
station. This station will have been built at a fraction of the cost of ISS, 
the elimination of whose operating costs will enable NASA to dive headlong into 
a new era of exploration.

"There is a fantastically steep learning curve to human spaceflight," 
Suffredini said. "The collective experience at Axiom is quite far along it. 
Because we know firsthand what works and what doesn't in LEO, we are innovating 
in terms of design, engineering, and process while maintaining safety and 
dramatically lowering costs."

About Axiom Space

Axiom Space was founded in 2016 to make life and work in orbit a reality as a 
means to sustained deep space exploration and improving life on Earth. While 
building and launching the Axiom Segment to one day form the world's first 
commercial space station, Axiom will provide access to the ISS today by 
launching crewed flights at a rate of about two to three flights per year. More 
information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com.

SOURCE:  Axiom Space

CONTACT: Beau Holder
         beau@axiomspace.com