Axiom Space's Plan for a Private Orbital Outpost

Axiom Space plans to build its own space station in low Earth orbit, with the first module scheduled to launch in 2026 and a thermal power module allowing it to detach from the International Space Station (ISS) and become a free-flying, commercially run LEO destination before 2030. Axiom is using data from its crewed missions to the ISS to guide the design and function of its space station modules and training programs. NASA awarded Axiom the contract to construct the first commercially manufactured module for the ISS in 2020, and the agency expects private space stations to fulfill its continued presence in LEO after the ISS's retirement.