Free Astronomy Magazine November-December 2022

24 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 ASTRO PUBLISHING plete Axiom’s rigorous training curriculum over many months in prepara- tion to live and conduct meaningful work in space. The expert team at Axiom Space is helping nations, and organizations build human spaceflight pro- grams, develop astronaut selection programs, and provide the expertise needed to expand the in- ternational community of space explorers to a larger and more diverse repre- sentation of humanity. Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that bene- fits every human, every- where. The leading provider of human space- flight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, M ishaal Ashemimry, Aerospace Engineering Consultant and Founder of MISHAAL Aerospace, is el- igible to become the first woman from Saudi Arabia to fly into space. To date, neither Axiom nor the Saudi govern- ment have provided the name of the female astronaut who will participate in Axiom’s second private mission to the ISS, scheduled for early 2023. T he first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Space Authority headed by Prince Sultan bin Salman, after the approval of its formation by the Saudi Council of Ministers, to discuss the strategy re- lated to space activities, which is compatible with the Kingdom’s Vi- sion 2030 and is committed to inter- national regulations and treaties. Axiom operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately building its successor, Axiom Station, the first permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. The Saudi astronaut program will provide many researches that will benefit all of humanity. Here are some examples. Improving health care by experiments performed in space will help us understand health problems on Earth. Space technolo- gies improve products we use every day, weather forecasts, and commu- nications worldwide. Astronauts en- courage young people to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Satellites provide data on climate change, measure pollution, and help protect our planet. Satellites data can be used to predict natural disasters and to sup- port emergency relief efforts. The space sector generates high-tech jobs for Saudis. Scientific break- throughs are challenging our as- sumptions and pushing our bound- aries by exploring the unknown. Each of these objectives does justify human spaceflight. Inspired by human spaceflight, many of today’s scientists and engineers across mul- tiple disciplines had witnessed the Apollo program as children. But which objectives apply uniquely to human spaceflight? What might objectives be achievable with re- mote spaceflight programs or with other types of technology projects on the ground? Saudi Arabia plans to launch its National Space Strat- egy in the coming months, which will reveal space programs and ini- tiatives that aim to serve humanity from space. !