Crew approved for Axiom Space’s second private astronaut mission to ISS

The crew for Axiom Space's second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station has been approved by NASA and its international partners. Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) is targeted for launch in spring 2023.

The privately funded mission will be commanded by Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. She will become the first female commander of a private space mission

Aviator John Shoffner of Knoxville, Tennessee, will serve as a pilot while Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), will serve as mission specialists.

The Axiom Mission 2 crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once docked at the space station, the private astronauts plan to spend 10 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, during which they will participate in science, outreach, and commercial activities.

"Ax-2 moves Axiom Space one step closer toward the realization of a commercial space station in low-Earth orbit and enables us to build on the legacy and achievements of the station, leveraging the benefits of microgravity to better life on Earth," said Michael Suffredini, president and CEO of Axiom Space.

.@NASA and its international partners have approved the crew for @Axiom_Space’s second private astronaut mission to the space station, Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), targeted to launch in spring 2023. https://t.co/ZhCnsDAlXf

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) February 13, 2023

 Meanwhile, NASA is also reviewing proposals for the third and fourth private astronaut missions to the space station.