Axiom Space, one of the leaders in commercial human spaceflight and architect of the world’s first commercial space station, announced that it is going all-in on Amazon Web Services (AWS) in support of its terrestrial information technology (IT) infrastructure. 

By migrating its enterprise IT to AWS, Axiom Space looks to provide its engineers, ground operations, and business development teams with the terrestrial cloud infrastructure necessary to enable the development of its next-generation commercial space station, Axiom Station. 

In parallel to going all-in on AWS for enterprise IT needs, Axiom Space and AWS will continue to collaborate on validating cloud-based hardware and software capable of supporting in-space workloads. These include cutting-edge scientific research and discovery that Axiom Space supports on-orbit to benefit new pharmaceutical development, stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and other areas of study in the microgravity environment. Axiom Space and AWS are also collaborating on the development and demonstration of in-space cybersecurity solutions that set the foundation for operating a cybersecure Axiom Station.

Christian Maender, EVP of Space Commercialization for Axiom Space said, “We are very excited to expand our collaboration with AWS. Going all-in on enterprise IT needs provides us with the necessary cloud services foundation on Earth to support our engineering, operations, and business teams as they build Axiom Station and the markets it will serve. We remain excited to collaborate with AWS on advancing the state of the art of cloud infrastructure on-orbit as we build a multi-cloud and multi-user environment for our future space station customers.”

In order to support a thriving global space economy in low-Earth orbit, Axiom Station will require cloud-based technology to quickly and reliably analyze data on orbit, closer to where the data is collected, even when operating with limited bandwidth and connectivity. As a first step on this path, Axiom Space and AWS worked together to integrate and operate an AWS Snowcone device on the International Space Station as part of the Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) in April 2022. Together, the teams used the device’s powerful edge processing capability to apply a sophisticated machine learning (ML)-based object recognition model and quickly analyze images of various scientific experiments on orbit. 

Today the AWS Snowcone – a small, rugged, and secure device offering edge computing, data storage, and data transfer on the go in an austere environment with little or no connectivity – remains on orbit and Axiom Space continues to demonstrate unique use cases in edge processing, artificial intelligence (AI), ML, and in-space cybersecurity with its partners (Axiom Space Collaborates to Advance In-Space Data Processing and Cybersecurity Solutions — Axiom Space). 

“Axiom Space is using AWS’s global infrastructure and a broad and deep portfolio of cloud services to deliver revolutionary solutions to the space industry,” said Dave Levy, AWS vice president, worldwide public sector. “We are proud to support Axiom Space’s vision to incorporate advanced cloud-based technology into future missions supporting on-orbit research, scientific discovery, and space exploration.”

Beyond going all-in on AWS for its enterprise IT needs, and demonstrating edge compute capabilities via the AWS Snowcone on the ISS, Axiom Space, and AWS intend to continue exploring:

• Using AWS for modeling and simulation in support of Axiom Station development
• Equipping Axiom Space’s mission control center (MCC-A) with cloud capabilities
• The development and use of digital engineering capabilities
• Applying AI/ML for autonomy-specific use cases around Axiom Station safety, monitoring, and mission operations
• Working together with other industry teams (e.g., Energy, Health, Telecommunications, Advanced Manufacturing) to help build and mature the in-space economy
• Deploying and operationalizing AWS cloud capabilities as part of Axiom Space’s multi-cloud and multi-user Orbital Data Center

Click here to learn more about Axiom Space's Missions to ISS.