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A Houston company will build an out-of-this-world platform to ensure humans have a continued presence in space and that an increasing number of people and businesses can access microgravity for research, exploration and manufacturing.NASA on Monday selected Axiom Space to build a privately funded commercial module that will attach to the International Space Station, a project that could cost $2 billion and ultimately create 1,000 jobs. It’s the latest announcement in space station succession planning and efforts by NASA to welcome more private astronauts and commercial companies aboard.“The vision of our company is to make living and working in space commonplace,†Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space, told the Chronicle. “And we’ve done that both to aid exploration but, perhaps more importantly to us, to make our lives better here on Earth.â€Axiom plans to turn this module into a commercial space station. It will attach a research and manufacturing facility, crew habitat and large-windowed Earth observatory to the existing station. Then when the International Space Station is retired, the Axiom Station would be detached and operated as a commercial endeavor where customers including NASA could pay to use it.The company expects to launch its first module in 2024.More at link.
