Post by Rmada United, LLC

Expressing our gratitude to Axiom Space and Chief Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, CAPT, USN (Ret.), is no easy task. We are deeply honored to have been part of Axiom’s Private Astronaut Missions on the Ground operations side, from Ax-1 through Ax-3. “Captain,” as I preferred to call him, was the Mission Commander for Ax-1 and Ax-3. As a Navy man, I naturally see a Captain as outranking a Commander, so greeting him with the proper Navy respect was only fitting. Meeting him remains as impressive today as during our first encounter and subsequent collaborations. His unwavering drive and focus on space are the stuff of legends, and there is no doubt that he is the real deal. He embodies professionalism and maintains complete control in every environment he operates in. My SEAL Team background is quite different for obvious reasons, yet it shares some very translatable principles. It involves the trust required to operate in harsh conditions where performance must never falter, decisions can have life-and-death consequences, and there is no room for mistakes. Our fascination with space, space travel, and now, Private Astronaut Missions has been with us since childhood. The opportunity to support and work with Axiom Space, Captain Mike Lopez-Alegria, and the incredible talent surrounding Axiom’s endeavors—building the space station and managing all the components required to run it once launched—is truly astounding. The talent is remarkable, and there are far too many individuals to list. From Ax-1 to now, some have moved on, some remain, but all will be remembered fondly as teammates. Thank you, CAPT Mike Lopez-Alegria (MLA) and Axiom Space, for flying our coin to space and giving us this priceless gift. Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to Derek Hassmann, Randy Hubbard, Craig Knott, Natacha Chough, MD, MPH, Eric Karp, Peggy Whitson, Patrick Strawbridge (Pat), Audrey Kiefer, Mike Harrison, Ted Duchesne, Melinda Hailey, MSN RN, Mike Skrbich, MBA, Chris Peña - MBA, PMP, CSP, Rachel Fowler, Holly Tinsdale, and many others who have contributed to this incredible opportunity and adventure.