The first Saudi Arabian astronauts in decades were launched toward the International Space Station on a chartered journey on Sunday.
SpaceX launched the ticket-holding crew, led by a retired NASA astronaut now working for the company that arranged the trip from Kennedy Space Center. Also on board: a U.S. businessman who now owns a sports car racing team.
The four should arrive at the space station on Monday morning in their capsule; they’ll stay there for just over a week before returning to Earth with a splashdown off the coast of Florida.
Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher, became the first Saudi Arabian woman to travel to space thanks to sponsorship from the Saudi government. Ali al-Qarni, a fighter pilot with the Royal Saudi Air Force, joined her.
It’s Houston-based Axiom Space’s second private mission to the space station
“Hello from outer space! It feels amazing to be viewing Earth from this capsule,” Barnawi said after settling into orbit.
al-Qarni added: “As I look outside into space, I can’t help but think this is just the beginning of a great journey for all of us.”
John Shoffner, a former racer and owner of a sports car racing company that competes in Europe, and chaperone Peggy Whitson, the station’s first female commander and the holder of the American record for the greatest total time spent in space (665 days and counting), round out the visiting crew.
“It was a phenomenal ride,” Whitson said after reaching orbit. Her crewmates clapped their hands in joy.
It’s Houston-based Axiom Space’s second private mission to the space station. The first was done by three businesspeople and a veteran NASA astronaut last year. In a few more years, the firm intends to begin constructing its own rooms at the station, eventually removing them to create a standalone outpost that may be rented.
Shoffner and Saudi Arabia are paying for the anticipated 10-day mission
Shoffner and Saudi Arabia are paying for the anticipated 10-day mission, but Axiom won’t disclose how much. The business has previously stated that each ticket would cost $55 million.
The most recent NASA pricing list lists per-person, per-day costs for meals of $2,000 and up to $1,500 for sleeping bags and other equipment. You must deliver your belongings to the space station in advance.
The visitors will have access to the majority of the station while they carry out experiments, take pictures of Earth and talk with students back home.
NASA now accepts space tourism with two commercial missions planned annually after decades of rejecting it. For many years, the Russian Space Agency has been engaged in it intermittently.
“Our job is to expand what we do in low-Earth orbit across the globe,” said NASA’s space station program manager Joel Montalbano.