NASA is charting new territory in its effort to commercialize low Earth orbit, inviting broader international participation in private astronaut missions (PAMs) to the International Space Station (ISS). The agency announced on April 2 that it is soliciting proposals for the fifth and sixth PAMs, scheduled for no earlier than May 2026 and mid-2027, respectively.
Axiom Space’s private Ax3 (Axiom Mission 3 astronaut mission) to the International Space Station.
A significant update in this call for proposals is the potential expansion of who can command these missions. While NASA currently requires mission commanders to be former NASA astronauts with at least 30 days of ISS mission experience—and recent operational involvement or updated training—the new solicitation now allows companies to nominate an alternate commander from international space agencies such as the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), European Space Agency (ESA), or Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), provided they meet similar experience standards.
“Private astronaut missions are a key part of this effort, providing companies with hands-on opportunities to refine their capabilities and build partnerships that will shape the future of low Earth orbit,” said Dana Weigel, NASA’s ISS program manager. She emphasized how these missions help industry gain critical expertise in crew training, operations, and research in space.
This adjustment could pave the way for experienced astronauts already embedded in commercial ventures to lead missions. For instance, Axiom Space—a dominant force in the PAM arena, having secured all four NASA contracts to date—has bolstered its team with former ESA astronaut Tim Peake and former JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata. Both have expressed interest in returning to space, potentially through international or regionally-focused missions.
Peake joined Axiom in mid-2024, shortly after the company signed an agreement with the U.K. Space Agency to explore a mission featuring an all-British crew. Meanwhile, Wakata, now serving as Axiom’s Chief Technical Officer for the Asia-Pacific region, hinted at aspirations to represent the region on a future flight during the Spacetide conference in Tokyo last July.
Although Axiom has so far faced little competition, that landscape may be shifting. Space startup Vast, which is also developing its own commercial space station, has signaled intentions to compete in this latest round of proposals.
NASA maintains that it will support up to two private missions per year, though it has so far kept to a pace of one annually. The upcoming Ax-4 mission, scheduled for no earlier than May, will mark Axiom’s fourth PAM.
The latest solicitation is part of NASA’s broader strategy to transition from the ISS to commercially operated space stations, with private missions playing a central role in that evolution. As the agency opens new opportunities for international astronauts and commercial providers, the next chapter of human spaceflight may feature a more global cast of spacefarers than ever before.
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