Axiom Mission 5

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Axiom Mission 5
SpaceX Crew Dragon (cropped).jpg
Artists' impression of a Crew Dragon approaching the forward port of Harmony on the ISS.
NamesAx-5
Mission type Private spaceflight to the ISS
Operator
Mission duration14–21 days (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type Crew Dragon
ManufacturerSpaceX
Crew
Crew size4
Members
  • TBA
Start of mission
Launch dateNET January 2027 [1]
Rocket Falcon 9 Block 5
Launch site Kennedy, LC‑39A or Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40
Contractor SpaceX
End of mission
Recovered by MV Megan or MV Shannon
Landing site Pacific Ocean (planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit
Regime Low Earth orbit
Docking with ISS
Docking port Harmony zenith
Axiom Space missions

Axiom Mission5 (or Ax-5) is an upcoming private spaceflight to the International Space Station operated by Axiom Space using a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission is planned to launch no earlier than January 2027 and last about two weeks. [1]

Contents

Mission

Speculation on a fifth Axiom mission started when NASA announced they would be seeking bids for two private missions to the ISS on April 2, 2025. [2] At the time of the announcement all prior private ISS contracts where performed by Axiom, [a] both of the missions would spend 14 days at the ISS. [2] NASA formally announced that Axiom won one of the two missions for Ax-5 on January 30, 2026 and is targeted to launch no earlier than January 2027. [1] The other mission was awarded to Vast. [3]

Payload integration will be performed by Voyager Technologies. [4] Ax-5, as with prior missions, will develop the techniques required for Axiom employed private astronauts to dock with their own private space station, the still in-development Axiom Station. [4] The funds from the awarded contract, alongside a restructuring of Axiom's debt, will help Axiom continue to finance their Extravehicular Mobility Unit that they are developing for NASA for eventual use on the Moon during Artemis III. [5]

Crew

The mission will carry a professionally trained commander and three private astronauts.

The Czech government had signed a memorandum of understanding with Axiom in 2024 to launch the first Czech astronaut, ESA astronaut Aleš Svoboda, on a future mission as part of the "Czech Journey to Space". [6] Just a week later the Portuguese government announced that they had also signed a similar memorandum, although there is no active Portuguese astronaut in the ESA astronaut corps. [7]

However, the British government also announced that they were planning on buying all four seats on an upcoming Axiom mission for astronauts Meganne Christian, Rosemary Coogan, John McFall, and Timothy Peake. Both crew and specific mission are yet to be confirmed. [6]

Upon formal announcement of the mission Axiom stated they would be sending four different crew proposals to NASA who will select the final crew. [1]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ax-1, Ax-2, Ax-3, and the then upcoming Ax-4. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dooren, Jennifer M. "NASA Selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Mission to Space Station". NASA . Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "NASA Continues Support for Private Astronaut Missions to Space Station". NASA . Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  3. ↑ Doyle, Tiernan P. "NASA Selects Vast for Sixth Private Mission to Space Station". NASA . Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  4. 1 2 Foust, Jeff. "Axiom wins fifth private astronaut mission to space station". SpaceNews . Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  5. ↑ Egan, John. "Axiom Space wins NASA contract for fifth private mission, lands $350M in financing". innovationmap. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  6. 1 2 Parsonson, Andrew (6 September 2024). "Czech Government Signs Agreement with Axiom for Astronaut Mission". europeanspaceflight. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  7. ↑ "Axiom Space, Portuguese Space Agency, and ANI Sign MoU to Ignite Era of Space Innovation at New Space Atlantic Summit". Axiom Space . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
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