Among the Axiom crew, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is a familiar face. In 2008, she could welcome the European Columbus module to the station. She commanded the Expedition 16 crew including former ESA astronaut Leopold Eyharts and Expedition 51 crew including ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and overlapped with ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli during Expedition 52.

“It will be my fourth spaceflight, and it is very exciting for me to return to the International Space Station,” says Peggy. With a background in biochemistry, she is looking forward to continuing research activities on stem cell studies during the mission.

John Shoffner will be supporting commander Peggy Whitson, as the pilot of the Axiom-2 mission. He is former CEO in the telecommunications sector, athlete, and race driver. John is a first-time flyer and is excited to bring awareness about how space can inspire young people and encourage their curiosity and skills.

“I am really looking forward to the flight. I followed human spaceflight all my life and this is a chance for me to try to do some valuable and important work on orbit related to STEM education,” says John.

To complete the four-member crew, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Alqarni who are both representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be serving as mission specialists on the Axiom Mission 2.