When the Axiom-1 mission lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center early next year, it will take with it four humans on the first-ever all-private astronaut flight to the ISS (International Space Station).<\/p>\n
At its core, the mission focuses on science and education, and the four-person crew will conduct 25 experiments with more than 100 hours of hands-on, human-tended research during the mission\u2019s eight-day stay aboard the outpost.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
While a relatively short flight, Axiom-1 will feature three crew customers in Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe, with a research focus based on their individual scientific goals and partnerships with various organizations.<\/p>\n
Larry Connor<\/em><\/p>\n Larry Connor, in partnership with the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic, will research spaceflight\u2019s impact on senescent cells\u2014cells that have stopped dividing\u2014and heart health as well as pre- and post-mission high-resolution MRIs for a study on the effects of spaceflight on spinal and brain tissue.<\/p>\n Senescent cells have been linked to several age-related diseases, and studying their reaction to microgravity could provide new treatment paths for older patients. Meanwhile, the pre- and post-flight MRI analyses are aimed at beginning to understand the types of effects spaceflight might have on various civilians across all ages.<\/p>\n