Michael López-Alegría is pictured training at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) to the International Space Station. Private astronauts of Axiom Space began learning about space station systems and procedures in preparation for their planned stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. The mission is scheduled for no earlier than January 2022.
For the Ax-1 mission, Axiom is proposing López-Alegría, Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe as prime crew members. These private astronauts will receive a standard official review by NASA and its international partners and undergo NASA medical qualification testing before being approved for flight. López-Alegría will serve as Axiom’s mission commander with Peggy Whitson as his backup.
This image is available on NASA’s Image and Video Library: https://images.nasa.gov/
Image Credit: Bill Stafford on behalf of Axiom Space, Inc.