New Commercial Segments Coming to ISS

Photo Credit: Axiom

An announcement was made by NASA yesterday afternoon that laid out an exciting new project for the International Space Station. They have selected a new contractor, Axiom Space, to develop and manufacture new segments for the ISS. Axiom will build 3 large pressurized modules as well as a large Earth observation window, similar to the current Cupola module.

Photo Credit: Axiom

NASA began soliciting bids in early June of 2019 after NASA's announcement that the International Space Station would be opening its doors to more commercial endeavors. The Houston based company plans to begin launching the three part "Axiom Section" in the second half of 2024.

In recent years, the age of the International Space Station has been a topic of discussion. Parts of the station have been on orbit for 20 years and in recent months, NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos have announced a collaboration in building a new orbital station. It is unclear if they are waiting for the ISS to de-orbit first or if they wish to occupy two orbital stations at once.

Photo Credit: Axiom

Axiom's project aims to build 3 modules; A Crew quarters, a manufacturing module, research space, and a massive window.

There is no word on the budget or exact timeline for this project yet, but needless to say, space fans are excited about getting shiny new attachments for the aging space station.

Spaceflight News will continue reporting on this story as more details become available.