Three informed sources said that Saudi Arabia plans to send two astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a capsule from Elon Musk’s “SpaceX” company, becoming the latest Gulf country to strengthen relations with private American space companies.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk regarding the mission’s crew before its official announcement, said an agreement was signed anonymously earlier this year with Axiom Space in Houston, which organizes and operates special missions to space on board a spacecraft. American for researchers and tourists.
Under the agreement, the two Saudi astronauts will launch aboard the “Crow Dragon” capsule from SpaceX on a trip to the International Space Station for regarding a week early next year, according to sources who indicated that the two will be the first Saudis to go into space on a private spacecraft.
Axiom has not yet commented, and Archyde.com was not able to reach officials in the Saudi Space Authority, which was established in 2018, for comment.
And private American companies are increasingly playing a major role in sending astronauts to the space station as NASA, which is now largely focused on returning humans to the moon, looks to commercialize the manned spaceflight that the United States began decades ago. .
The agreement will be the latest in which companies such as Axiom take on a unique diplomatic role that has long been dominated by government agencies such as NASA. The International Space Station is a laboratory the size of a football field at an altitude of 400 km above Earth, and has been home to international crews of astronauts for more than 20 years.
The sources said that the two Saudi astronauts will be joined by two previously announced Americans, retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, and race car driver and investor John Schofner. The mission, called AX-2, will be the second spaceflight organized by Axiom.
A US official said that the astronauts on the special flight aboard “AX-2” have not yet been approved by a committee chaired by NASA of stakeholders and partners in the space station, such as Russia, Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency. The official added that the mission is likely to get approval.
For Axiom and other space companies, agreements with foreign governments are seen as vital to continuing a business focused on sending people into space. Sending people into space is a luxury for wealthy adventure seekers and a source of pride and inspiration for aspiring space powers like Saudi Arabia.
Axiom launched its first special mission to the space station in April, when it sent a crew of four to the station aboard the SpaceX “Crow Dragon” capsule, which included a Canadian investor and an Israeli businessman.
On Monday, Axiom announced an agreement with Turkey to send the country’s first two astronauts into space in late 2023. This is likely to be for the AX-3 mission, according to an informed source.
The value of the Axiom agreement with Saudi Arabia was not clear. A single seat in Crew Dragon during Axiom’s first mission sold for $55 million.
