BLUF

The world’s first all-private space trip consisting of three paying customers and one experienced astronaut visited the International Space Station (ISS) and has now safely returned to Earth.

Summary

This article by Zachary Snowdon Smith, writing for Forbes, makes the following points:
  • The four-person crew splashed down in the Atlantic near Jacksonville, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
  • The mission, organized by Houston-based company Axiom Space, departed the ISS carrying four crew and more than 200 pounds of science equipment and other supplies.
  • The mission was commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegría, 63.
  • The crew included a real estate CEO, an investment firm CEO and an Israeli businessman.
  • NASA is working on a second Axiom-led private visit to the ISS.
  • Axiom is also exploring the possibility of commercial accommodation being attached to the space station.
Learn more about the first all-private crewed space mission.

References