NASA's Axiom 2 Will Have First Female Commander for Private Space Mission

The crew for Axiom Space's second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), has recently received approval from NASA and its international partners.

Peggy Whitson, the Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space and a former NASA astronaut, will serve as the mission's commander. The pilot will be John Shoffner from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Whitson will make history as the first female commander of a private space mission.

Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, two mission specialists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), are participants in the country's first national astronaut program. They will be included in the mission after an arrangement was made between KSA and Axiom Space.

"Strong and Cohesive Team"

Whitson was also the first female commander of the ISS and now, she will once again break glass ceilings by becoming the first woman to be a commander of a private space mission, adding to her many lists of accomplishments as a former NASA chief 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," Whitson said in a press release statement.

"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."

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Ax-2 crew will take flight from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The private astronauts intend to spend 10 days on board the ISS once they have docked, carrying out a comprehensive mission of scientific, educational, and commercial activities.

The mission is planned to be launched in the spring of 2023. It will mark the first private mission to feature both private astronauts and astronauts representing foreign nations in addition to having the first female commander.

3rd and 4th Missions

Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), the first private astronaut mission to the ISS, was launched on April 8, 2022, and featured four private astronauts. During their 17 days in space, they worked on 26 science payloads and participated in more than 30 STEAM educational and public outreach activities.

On April 25, 2022, the crew came to a splashdown off the coast of Florida to complete the mission. The agency's objective is to create a robust, commercial market in low-Earth orbit where NASA is just one of many clients for private businesses.

The third and fourth private astronaut missions to the space station are now under assessment by NASA.