HOUSTON – Houston-based Axiom Space is launching a worldwide university alliance aimed at speeding up research and technology development in microgravity.
The Axiom Space University Alliance, according to a news release, will debut with 15 partner institutions across the U.S., Europe, and Australia, with plans to add more schools and research groups.
The Houston-based institution, which is building a commercial space station to succeed the International Space Station, notes the alliance is intended to keep the scientific pipeline strong during the transition to commercial platforms while growing international collaboration.
Company officials add that the network will coordinate projects that use microgravity for breakthroughs in areas like medicine, advanced materials, as well as space systems, and help set shared research priorities for the next generation of orbital labs.
“As space infrastructure moves from government-led to commercially operated, it’s critical we preserve and expand access to low-Earth orbit (LOE) for science,” said Dr. Lucie Low, Axiom’s chief science officer. “This alliance unites universities and research institutions so science stays at the heart of exploration and commercialization.”
Here’s what else the alliance is set to do:
- Advocate for continued global access to microgravity for research and innovation.
- Identify gaps and opportunities to guide national and international research agendas.
- Connect labs and talent by sharing resources, best practices, and flight opportunities.
- Broaden participation, from veteran LEO users to universities new to space-based research.
“From life-saving medical innovations to advanced materials and technologies, microgravity research has driven decades of scientific breakthroughs,” Dr. Low added. “And now as we transition from government-led to commercially operated space infrastructure, it’s critical that we preserve and expand access to LEO for research that can benefit us all on Earth as well as continue to advance human exploration further.”
Universities, industry partners, and agencies interested in joining can contact Axiom Space for more information by going to their website or emailing research@axiomspace.com.