Axiom-1 makes history
Axiom-1 crew in flight on a SpaceX Falcon 9 on April 8, 2022.
Photo Credit: John Pisani / Cosmic Perspective
It's about the journey
Just prior to liftoff, AX-1 Mission Specialist, Eytan Stibbe shared a piece of a beautiful poem about the journey. Upon researching the full Greek poem, Ithaka, we find what Eytan is trying to communicate for himself and all who listened: That the journey is more important than the destination.
"Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now."
Relive the moment of liftoff
Meet the crew of Axiom-1
Michael López-Alegría is the Chief Astronaut for Axiom Space and Commander of the Ax-1 mission. López-Alegría is a four-time astronaut, having flown on Space Shuttle missions STS-73, STS-92, and STS-113, and served as Commander of ISS Expedition 14, flying to and from the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-9. He holds NASA records for the most Extravehicular Activities (EVA) or “space walks” (10) and cumulative EVA time (67 hours 40 minutes). In 2021, he was inducted to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. His work on Ax-1 leverages his experience in traditional government space exploration to help forge a new era of private human spaceflight.
Michael López-Alegría is the Chief Astronaut for Axiom Space and Commander of the Ax-1 mission. López-Alegría is a four-time astronaut, having flown on Space Shuttle missions STS-73, STS-92, and STS-113, and served as Commander of ISS Expedition 14, flying to and from the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-9. He holds NASA records for the most Extravehicular Activities (EVA) or “space walks” (10) and cumulative EVA time (67 hours 40 minutes). In 2021, he was inducted to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. His work on Ax-1 leverages his experience in traditional government space exploration to help forge a new era of private human spaceflight.
López-Alegría was born inMadrid, Spain and immigrated to the United States with his family. His son Nicolas (Nico) López-Alegría is currently working on a documentary film about their shared journey and the Ax-1 mission.
Larry Connor is an entrepreneur, non-profit activist investor and the Ax-1 Pilot. Through the Ax-1 mission, Connor will become the first private pilot to reach the ISS and the first human to reach the deepest ocean depths and outer space within one year.
Connor is the founder and managing partner of The Connor Group, a real estate investment firm he grew from $0 to $3.5 billion in assets. He’s also founded two technology companies. His non-profit endeavors include The Connor Group Kids & Community Partners, which invests in programs that pull children out of generational poverty, and The Greater Dayton School–Ohio’s first private non-religious school exclusively for under-resourced students.
The married father of three from Dayton, Ohio has won aerobatic flying competitions, summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Rainier and completed the first rafting descent of the Himalayas’ Drangme Chhu River. Connor also has won various car-racing circuit championships including the 2014 Baja 1000 Trophy Truck Spec class and the 2000 and 2001 Formula Atlantic national championships.
In 2021 Connor revealed that he’d devoted 50 percent of his assets to Kids & Community Partners and 30 percent to his company’s partnership program, which includes employees of all job descriptions.
Eytan Stibbe is an impact investor, philanthropist, and a mission specialist on the AX-1 mission to the International Space Station. In collaboration with the Ramon Foundation, the Israel Space Agency, the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Education, Stibbe will fly to the ISS under the “Rakia” banner and the maxim “There is no dream beyond reach’’ that magnificently captures the spirit of the mission: “Rakia” is a biblical term that designates the creation of the sky. During his time on the ISS Stibbe will facilitate scientific experiments, educational research, and artistic activities. “Rakia” –a mission that wholly embraces peace, innovation, and social responsibility –will allow Stibbe a unique opportunity to foster his life-long interest in exploration and development.
Over ten years ago, Eytan Stibbe founded the Vital Capital investment fund, which improves the lives of underserved populations in developing countries. Through his efforts, millions of people have improved their well-being in matters such as housing, water, electricity, education, and healthcare. The fund won international acclaim as a pioneer in the field of impact investment following which Stibbe became a member of the World Economic Forum.
For morethan four decades, Eytan Stibbe served as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force and received the IAF’s Distinguished Aviator Medal. Today, Stibbe resides in Israel with his wife Ora, where he spends time with his three children and four grandchildren.
Mark Pathy is an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist as well as a Mission Specialist on Axiom Space’s AX-1 mission. Pathy is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Montreal-based MAVRIK, a privately-owned investment and financing company he founded that focuses on innovation and social impact. As a strong believer in the importance of philanthropy, Pathy is a member of the boards and Executive Committees of the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, Dans La Rue and the Pathy Family Foundation.
Prior to founding MAVRIK, Pathy was President and CEO of Fednav International Ltd., an international dry-bulk shipping company, and co-CEO of its parent company Fednav Limited. He remains a member of the group’s Board of Directors. Additionally,Pathy is the Chairman of the Board of publicly traded leading music, media, and technology company Stingray Group Inc., a position he has held since November 2017 after initially joining the Board in 2015.
Through the Ax-1 mission, Pathy will become Canada’s 2nd private astronaut and the 12th Canadian to go to space. Pathy obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Business Administration from INSEAD. He continues to reside in Canada with his wife and three children.
