Marysville, Wash.-based Gravitics says it has won a $125 million contract from Axiom Space to provide a pressurized spacecraft for Axiom’s yet-to-be-launched commercial space station.
The hardware would play a utility role by providing a variety of support services for Axiom Station.
Axiom Station’s first space module is being built by Thales Alenia Space. That habitation module would be attached to the International Space Station in the 2026 time frame, and when it’s time for the ISS to be retired, Axiom plans to detach its hardware to serve as a standalone orbital outpost.
Gravitics would help Axiom build out its orbital infrastructure. The startup, founded in 2021, offers a product line of spacecraft ranging in diameter from 3 meters (10 feet) to a Starship-sized 8 meters (26 feet). The spacecraft to be built for Axiom will be 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter, with its own propulsion system and power system.
Gravitics’ deal with Axiom points the way toward an ecosystem for building and operating commercial space stations.
“Axiom Space and Gravitics are working together to develop space infrastructure to enable a sustainable global space economy in low-Earth orbit,” Matt Ondler, president of Axiom Space, said today in a news release. “Our next-gen platform, Axiom Station, will provide new pathways to space for traditional space users and non-traditional industries. We are expanding commercial opportunities in space, from in-space manufacturing to technology demonstrations to research and innovative solutions that will advance civilization.”
