TRI-CITY HERALD: Nation’s 1st advanced nuclear reactor could operate near Tri-Cities under new agreement

xenergyWA.jpeg

TRI-CITY HERALD, 4/1/2021

What could be the nation’s first commercial advanced nuclear power reactor would be built and operated near Richland under a partnership agreement signed Thursday.

X-energy, of Rockville, Md., will work with Energy Northwest of Richland and Grant County PUD to develop, build and operate an 80-megawatt reactor, the Xe-100, on land already leased by Energy Northwest at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington.

Advanced reactors are intended to be designed with enhanced safety features and a smaller footprint for their modular design concept.

FULL STORY

CNBC: Private spaceflight specialist Axiom Space raises $130 million to become the latest space unicorn

CNBC, 2/16/2021

Houston-based Axiom Space is going full tilt into scaling production of private space stations, while also flying paying passengers on trips to orbit, with the company announcing Tuesday it received $130 million in a new round of funding.

“This round lets us go make a major payment in the build of our [space station] module and lets us build up the team, which we’ve been expanding at just a crazy pace,” Axiom President and CEO Michael Suffredini told CNBC.

Axiom declined to comment specifically on its valuation, but Suffredini said the company is now “well past the point” of becoming a unicorn, meaning its valuation has surpassed $1 billion. This puts Axiom among the 10-most valuable private U.S. space companies.

FULL STORY

TECHCRUNCH : Axiom Space raises $130 million for its commercial space station ambitions

TECH CRUNH, 2/16/2021

One of the new space startups with the loftiest near-term goals has raised $130 million in a Series B round that demonstrates investor confidence in the scope of its ambitions: Axiom Space, which has been tapped by NASA to add privately developed space station modules to the ISS, announced the new funding led by C5 Capital.

This is the latest in a string of high-profile announcements for Axiom, which was founded in 2016 by a team including space professionals with a history of demonstrated expertise working on the International Space Station. Eventually, Axiom hopes to go from adding the first private commercial modules to the existing station, to creating their own, wholly private on-orbital platforms — for research, space tourism and more.

https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/16/axiom-space-raises-130-million-for-its-commercial-space-station-ambitions/

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN: Axiom Space Names First Private Crew to Visit Space Station

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN/ SPACE.COM, 1/26/2021

The crew of the first entirely-private orbital space mission will include the second oldest person to launch into space, the second Israeli in space, the 11th Canadian to fly into space and the first former NASA astronaut to return to the International Space Station, the company organizing the history-making flight has announced.

FULL STORY

FORBES: Axiom Space Announces Ax1 – First All-Private Crew To Visit ISS

Esqdui4XMAAKPBe.jpeg

FORBES, 1/26/2021

When it comes to space, even the wildest ideas have a chance of becoming reality – especially when the timing and technology align just so. Four years ago, Axiom Space announced plans to build a private space station; like for many companies with similar plans before them, the news was generally well received but with a healthy dose of “we’ll believe it when we see it.” Over the intervening years, Houston-based Axiom has continued the steady march forward and today took a major step on the planned path to create a private space station – and prove the demand for those willing to pay to reach it.

Today, Axiom Space announced the four members selected for the first private crew to visit the International Space Station. 

FULL STORY

Houston Spaceport Slated to Become Home to the World's First Commercial Space Station Builder

Houston Spaceport, the nation's 10th commercially licensed Spaceport, will be home to the world's first commercial space station builder, Axiom Space. The aerospace company announced plans to create a 14-acre headquarters campus to train private astronauts and begin production of its Axiom Station—the world's first free-flying, internationally available private space station that will serve as humanity's central hub for research, manufacturing and commerce in low Earth orbit.

FULL STORY