The agreement was signed by the President and CEO of Axiom Space, Michael Suffredini, and Italy’s Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition, Vittorio Colao, on 19 May in Rome, Italy. HOUSTON, 25 of May 2022 – Axiom Space, a leader in human spaceflight currently building the world’s first commercial space station, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Italian government to further their existing collaboration, including the potential for the development of space infrastructure integrated with the future Axiom Station. The company currently employs more than 500 people, the majority of which work at its current Houston facilities and will grow the number to over 1,000 by 2023. The company has also signed agreements with several nations including Italy, Hungary, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to fly on future space missions.Īxiom Space was founded in Houston in 2016 by space entrepreneur Kam Ghaffarian and Michael Suffredini – NASA’s ISS Program Manager from 2005 to 2015 – to build the world’s first commercial space station and develop commercial space infrastructure that will drive a thriving low-Earth orbit economy. Axiom Space also recently welcomed home the crew of Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) after successfully completing the first all-private astronaut mission to the ISS. Earlier this month Axiom Space celebrated the groundbreaking at the company’s new, long-term headquarters at Houston Spaceport, which will be home to the development and construction of Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station. This NASA contract win is the latest of Axiom Space’s list of recent accomplishments in its efforts to grow the commercial space industry. No phase-in period is anticipated, and the work will be managed at Axiom’s Houston facilities. NASA may order IDIQ services at any time after the contract starts with a period of performance beginning June 2022 and ending June 2032. The Axiom Space team will provide EVA systems training and real-time operations support to NASA, among other services. The 圎VAS spacesuits design includes life support, pressure garments, and avionics. Building off of NASA’s 圎MU spacesuit design, the Axiom spacesuits are created to provide increased flexibility and specialized tools to accomplish exploration needs and expand scientific opportunities in space. Authorization to perform work under the 圎VAS contract will be through the issuance of NASA task orders not to exceed $3.1B with a ceiling of $3.5B for all services.Īxiom’s 圎VAS spacesuits will be designed to accommodate a wide range of crew members. The firm fixed price contract is structured as an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) award over a 10-year ordering period and allows for two additional years for completion of services. Photo credit: Axiom SpaceĪxiom Space has partnered with a strong team of industry experts on this contract including KBR, Air-Lock, David Clark Company, Paragon Space Development Corporation, Sophic Synergistics, and A-P-T Research. Members of Axiom Space’s Extravehicular Mobility Unit (A圎MU) work on building the next generation spacesuit at the company’s Houston headquarters. “We are immensely pleased that NASA recognizes the value Axiom Space is providing across a range of human spaceflight activities, from our recent private astronaut mission to the ISS to the design and development of Axiom Station, and now to providing this critical system and associated services for astronauts in LEO and beyond.” “Our innovative approach to 圎VAS spacesuits provides NASA with an evolvable design that enables cost-efficient development, testing, training, deployment, and real-time operations to address a variety of EVA needs and operational scenarios for a range of customers, including NASA,” said Michael Suffredini, Axiom Space’s President & CEO. This new NASA contract enables Axiom to build spacesuits that serve the company’s commercial customers and future space station goals while meeting NASA’s ISS and exploration needs. The Axiom spacesuit is key to the company’s commercial space services. The new spacesuits by Axiom Space will provide astronauts with advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA commercially developed human systems needed to access, live, and work in microgravity and on and around the Moon. Under the terms of the contract, the Houston-based company will build the space agency’s next generation astronaut spacesuits that may be used for low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Artemis lunar missions.
Axiom is one of two companies to win the award with a potential total value of $3.5 billion across the life of the program.
HOUSTON - Axiom Space announced today that it has been awarded the NASA Extravehicular Activity Services (圎VAS) Contract.
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