The astronauts will spend about two weeks in orbit
LONDON, October 25. /tass/. The UK Space Agency has signed an agreement with the American company Axiom Space to send four British astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). This is stated in the statement of the department.
It is emphasized that the astronauts will spend about two weeks in orbit. The dates of sending to the ISS are not specified. "We want the UK to be at the forefront of the global race for commercial investment in space. We continue to support scientists and engineers who are testing new technologies and engaged in important research," said George Freeman, Deputy Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology of the United Kingdom.
The executive director of the UK Space Agency, Paul Bate, called this agreement attractive both from a scientific and economic point of view. "This agreement allows British astronauts to conduct scientific research in orbit and inspires millions of people on Earth. The efforts of thousands of people are required to carry out a manned space mission and safely return astronauts home," he said. It is noted that the plans of the British authorities were supported by the European Space Agency (ESA).
The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that we are talking about the first independent space mission in the UK. According to her, the head of the group of four people will be astronaut Tim Peake, who spent six months on the ISS in the period from December 2015 to June 2016 and became the first Briton to go into outer space. Then Pik, representing ESA, flew to the station on the Russian manned Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft.
The remaining participants in the mission are expected to be three Britons selected for the ESA space program in 2023. We are talking about Paralympian John McFall, who became the first "para-astronaut" in history, astronomer Rosemary Coogan and chemical technology specialist Megan Christian.
Axiom Space has already sent two commercial space missions to the ISS, another one is planned for 2024. The company, headquartered in Houston (Texas), conducts launches from the spaceport at the Kennedy Space Center (Florida) using the Crew Dragon spacecraft and SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle. According to The Daily Telegraph, the launch will cost the UK Space Agency about $200 million. Probably, a significant part of these funds will be paid for by private investors interested in conducting research on the ISS.
Pic, in an interview with the BBC Broadcasting Corporation, confirmed his participation in the mission. "We still need to overcome several obstacles: guarantee a financial model, select a team, conduct training. NASA (US National Aeronautics and Space Administration - approx. TASS) must approve the mission and determine its timing in the case of a flight to the International Space Station. We are at an early stage, we need to take a few more steps, but it's great that we have launched the process and started discussions," he said.
According to the BBC, so far in the history of seven Britons have been in outer space, including Peak and six other NASA astronauts. If the mission is successful, their number will increase to 10.