Axiom Space Plans To Test Orbital-Based Data Center Tech on ISS This Year

Axiom Space Plans To Test Orbital-Based Data Center Tech on ISS This Year

A typical data center on Earth.
Photo: Leonardo Rizzi, Creative Commons

In the modern world, data centers are everywhere. They house the IT infrastructure for building, running, and delivering applications and services over the Internet and also through private networks such as the ones that corporations have for their employees. This website — and almost every other website in existence — resides in a data center somewhere, where it is maintained and monitored by the folks that Florida Media Now has engaged to provide that service. “The cloud” is another term we use for data centers — your email, photo backups, and so forth are all in a data center too. And now, data centers are starting to move to orbit.

Jason Aspiotis, Director of In-Space Infrastructure & Logistics, Axiom Space.
Photo: Spacecom Expo 2024

Jason Aspiotis, Axiom Space’s Director of In-Space Infrastructure & Logistics, says this only makes sense as the space economy grows. “Earth’s orbital economy is evolving with the proliferation of thousands of commercial, U.S. government, and allied satellites addressing needs in Earth observation, next generation communications, positioning, and navigation, space domain awareness, and security.”

Axiom Space Tests Lunar EVA Suit At Neutral Buoyancy Lab In Houston

Axiom Space Tests Lunar EVA Suit At Neutral Buoyancy Lab In Houston

Unoccupied AxEMU lunar EVA suit underwater at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas. Date unknown.
Photo: Axiom Space on X.com

Houston, Texas One of the critical tasks for the upcoming Artemis missions is completing new spacesuits for astronauts to wear while on the lunar surface. The suits are critical, as they must protect astronauts from severe temperatures, the moon’s lack of a meaningful atmosphere, and sharp, jagged lunar regolith. In September 2022, NASA awarded Axiom Space a $228.5 million contract to develop the next-generation spacesuit for the Artemis III mission to the moon. 

Former Astronaut and KSC Director Bob Cabana Joining IBX As Senior Advisor

Former Astronaut and KSC Director Bob Cabana Joining IBX As Senior Advisor

Robert D. “Bob” Cabana, a former NASA astronaut, NASA Associate Administrator (the agency’s third highest-ranking executive) and Director of Kennedy Space Center, has joined IBX, a firm that invests in and fosters innovation in space-related companies. Founded by engineer and entrepreneur Kam Ghaffirian, IBX supports companies Ghaffirian helped found: Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, Quantum Space and X-energy along with other ventures. Cabana will serve as a Senior Advisor with the company.

SpaceX Crew Dragon “Freedom” Splashes Down off of Daytona Beach; Crew Safe

Screen-capture of SpaceX livestream of the AX3 reentry and splashdown. This shot was captured a few minutes after the capsule had landed safely.
Photo: SpaceX
Screen-capture of SpaceX livestream of the AX3 reentry and splashdown. This shot was captured a few minutes after the capsule had landed safely.
Photo: SpaceX

The Axiom 3 mission has ended safely off the Florida coast near Daytona Beach. Michael López-Alegría, Commander of the the AX3 mission, reported a few minutes after the splashdown “flying SpaceX was our pleasure” and that “all four crew members are feeling well.”

Oh No, One More Delay for Axiom-3 Return from the ISS

               

Ax-3 docked to ISS
Axiom 3’s Crew Dragon docked to the ISS. Photo: NASA TV

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are standing down from the Tuesday, Feb. 6, undocking opportunity of Axiom Mission 3 from the International Space Station. Mission teams will continue to review weather conditions off the coast of Florida, which currently are not favorable for return, and set a new target opportunity for space station departure and splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft and Axiom crew members. The newest target date for undocking is Wednesday at 9:05 AM ET . The splashdown time has not yet been announced.

There is no indication that these delays in any way pose risk to the crew of either the Dragon spacecraft or the ISS.

Italy As A Key Player in Commercial Spaceflight: The Ax-3 Mission Tells Only A Small Part Of The Story

 Thales Alenia factory in Turin, Italy.   Credit:  Axiom Space
Axiom Station pressure vessel under construction at the Thales Alenia factory in Turin, Italy.   Credit:  Axiom Space

Italy is well-known to world travelers for its culinary expertise, and that skill is now being added to the country’s many contributions to space exploration on the Axiom 3 mission.