NASA has officially chosen Axiom Space to conduct its fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission is called Axiom Mission 5 (Ax-5).
The agreement was signed on January 30, 2026 and is part of NASA’s plan to increase commercial activities in low-Earth orbit. This marks another step toward making space travel more accessible to private companies and non-government astronauts.
The mission is planned to launch no earlier than January 2027 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A crew of four astronauts will travel to the ISS and stay there for up to 14 days. They will live and work aboard the station, taking part in experiments and other activities during their stay.
Axiom Space has already worked with NASA on previous private missions, helping to open up the ISS to commercial spaceflight. This mission continues the trend of private companies playing a bigger role in space exploration.
NASA said that missions like Ax-5 are important for developing new commercial space capabilities and preparing for future deep-space exploration, including trips to the Moon and beyond.