WE ARE DEMOCRATISING ACCESS TO THE ISS

BORN IN SPAIN and raised in the US, Michael Lopez-Alegria is one of NASA's most accomplished astronauts. A veteran of six space missions, he holds NASA records for the most spacewalks (10) and the longest cumulative EVA (extravehicular activity) time (67 hours, 40 minutes).

- BY NIRMAL JOVIAL

Inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2020, he later commanded Axiom Mission 1 in 2022—the first private mission to the International Space Station—and Axiom Mission 3 thereafter. As Axiom builds a private space station, Lopez-Alegria's expertise is proving vital. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, he reflects on his journey, lessons learned and Axiom's vision for the future of space exploration. Excerpts:

Q. What are some of the key lessons from the ISS that Axiom is using as you prepare for an independent station?

A/ Axiom Station will take advantage of the dramatic evolution in the miniaturisation of electronics that will allow us to locate many of the large avionics assemblies mounted on the external truss of the ISS within the pressure shell (the main structural component). This will allow for much simpler maintenance without the need to perform a spacewalk. Advances in software processing speed will allow us to have a much smaller ground team to manage Axiom Station's systems.

Q. Are there specific design or operational changes you are advocating for in Axiom's modules?

A/ One of the biggest complications aboard the ISS is the myriad cables in the main passageways. Axiom Station is being designed to allow for the stowage of cables behind panels, keeping the corridors clear.

Q.