2 Americans, 2 Saudi Nationals To Fly Aboard Axiom's Second Private Astronaut Mission To ISS

Two Americans and two Saudi Arabian citizens will fly aboard Axiom Space’s second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) in the second quarter of 2023.

Axiom Space is an American, privately-funded operator of missions to the International Space Station.

The company’s Director of Human Spaceflight and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the privately funded mission. John Shoffner of Knoxville, Tennessee, will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists, Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi from Saudi Arabia, are members of the inaugural Saudi national astronaut program. They are flying through an arrangement between the government of Saudi Arabia and Axiom Space.

“Enabling more people to go to space is an important component of NASA’s continuing efforts to grow the low-Earth orbit economy,” said Angela Hart, manager of NASA’s Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program. “Private astronaut missions are a key component to enable a successful transition to a model of commercially owned and operated platforms in low-Earth orbit, he added.

The Ax-2 crew will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in spring 2023 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and travel to the space station. Once docked, the private astronauts plan to spend 10 days at the orbiting laboratory implementing a full mission of science, outreach, and commercial activities. This will be the first private space mission to include both private astronauts and astronauts representing foreign governments, as well as the first private mission commanded by a woman, NASA said.

Whitson is also NASA’s former chief astronaut and the first female commander of the space station. In addition, she will add to her standing record for spending the longest cumulative time in space by a NASA astronaut.

“I’m honored to be heading back to the station for the fourth time, leading this talented Ax-2 crew on their first mission,” said Whitson. “This is a strong and cohesive team determined to conduct meaningful scientific research in space and inspire a new generation about the benefits of microgravity. It’s a testament to the power of science and discovery to unify and build international collaboration,” added the 63-year-old biochemistry researcher, who spent a total of 665 days in space.

Shoffner, a businessman, became a pilot at the age of 17.

Ali AlQarni is a Saudi astronaut. He is a captain in the Royal Saudi Air Force, where he pilots F-15SA.

Rayyanah Barnawi, 33, will be the first Saudi Arabian woman to travel to space. The research laboratory specialist holds a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences, with nine years of experience in cancer stem cell research.

The purpose of the space mission is to facilitate Saudi Arabia’s scientific research, especially for developing the oil rich gulf country’s space industry.

The mission is a part of the Vision 2030 agenda by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) is a follow up to the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1). Launched on April 8, 2022, four private astronauts spent 17 days in orbit working on 26 science payloads aboard the station and conducting more than 30 STEAM educational and public outreach engagements. The crew splashed down off the coast of Florida on April 25, 2022, to conclude the mission.

Private astronaut missions to the space station are a precursor to privately funded commercial space stations as part of NASA’s efforts to develop a thriving low-Earth orbit ecosystem and marketplace. NASA is currently reviewing proposals for the third and fourth private astronaut missions to the space station.

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