Axiom Space, based in Houston, has launched the Axiom Space University Alliance to support global collaboration in microgravity research. According to Click2Houston, the alliance begins with 15 universities from the United States, Europe, and Australia, with plans to include more research institutions in the future.
The new alliance aims to support scientific research during the shift to commercially operated space platforms and strengthen international partnerships. The initiative is intended to maintain and expand access to low-Earth orbit for scientific work and organize projects in areas such as medicine, advanced materials, and space systems. "As space infrastructure moves from government-led to commercially operated, it's critical we preserve and expand access to low-Earth orbit (LOE) for science," quoted Dr. Lucie Low, Axiom’s chief science officer, as reported by Click2Houston.
Axiom’s Chief Science Officer Lucie Low told Payload Space that the company’s new alliance will recommend policy directions and set scientific goals, focusing on “low-hanging fruit” in areas such as human health in space and physical sciences in microgravity. While Axiom is developing a commercial space station to follow the ISS, the company said research could also take place on other stations or unmanned platforms. “We are a revenue-generating company...We expect that we will continue to fly research in the coming years, but that’s not what this alliance is about,” Low said. The alliance is designed to support international collaboration, including with countries not typically part of U.S.-funded projects, while working within U.S. laws and regulations.
