Ax-1, the first private mission into Earth orbit and to the International Space Station, is slated for launch at the end of next year. It is being implemented by Axiom Space, and the company has now recruited three private astronauts to fly into space together with the former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria.

It starts in a year Axiom Space announced in this “first completely privately manned space mission to the ISS” March. The mission, dubbed Ax-1, is to use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring private astronauts to the ISS for at least eight days. At the International Astronautical Congress in October, Axion CEO Michael Suffredini said the launch would be in the fourth quarter 2021.

Beyond that there are only a few details so far. It is known that former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Aligria is participating in the mission, but the names of his companions have not yet been revealed. A promotional photo from Axion on Twitter shows three male silouettes, which suggests that there will be no woman among them.

Who is coming on board? There was excited speculation on Twitter and other social media that the two other astronauts could be actor Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman; the two had negotiated with NASA about the production of a film on board the ISS. Axiom was also involved in those talks, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said in June. However, this week it was reported that one of the two previously unknown astronauts was the former Israeli fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe.

But even without the possible film, Ax-1 would be a big step towards the goal of NASA to open the ISS for private activities and to use the space station as a platform for the increased commercialization of low earth orbits before it 2030 reaches the end of its planned life. Axion plans to install a residential module on the ISS in 2024. It is intended as the first part of a larger private space station to be built and installed over the rest of the decade.

(sma )