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Private Ax-2 astronaut releasing free educational videos filmed in space on Aug. 28

Space.com August 26, 2023 2 min read

Private Ax-2 astronaut releasing free educational videos filmed in space on Aug. 28_64ea0e72efe50.png

Private Ax-2 astronaut releasing free educational videos filmed in space on Aug. 28 (Image Credit: Space.com)

Kids (and kids at heart) can ride along with a recent mission to the space station with a new educational series debuting Monday (Aug. 28) featuring two private astronauts.

“Habitat Space” is an educational series featuring Ax-2 private astronaut John Shoffner, a rookie learning about the International Space Station in May 2023 with his record-breaking commander Peggy Whitson, formerly an astronaut with NASA.

The series makes its online debut at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT on Tuesday, Aug. 29) and you can register for free on Eventbrite. The event will be followed by a live question-and-answer period with Shoffner and Whitson, on behalf of their company Axiom Space.

Shoffner will also make the videos available with his foundation, the Perseid Foundation, on Tuesday (Aug. 29). Details will be made available on that day.

Related: Private space station: How Axiom Space plans to build its orbital outpost

an astronaut gives a thumbs up to the camera in space. the right hand is very close to the camera and a ring is visible on the index finger. behind, the astronaut smiles widely while wearing a shirt that says "axiom space." the background shows a module with flags and various wires and pieces of equipment — Private astronaut John Shoffner, of the Ax-2 mission with Axiom Space, gives a thumbs-up to the camera on the International Space Station in May 2023. (Image credit: Perseid Foundation/Axiom Space/John Shoffner)

Shoffner is part of a small, but quickly growing, set of private astronauts joining ISS missions. Axiom Space has run two such missions to the orbiting complex so far as the company works to build out an eventual private space station of its own. Per agency rules, all private missions must be commanded by a former NASA astronaut.

“Just wait till you get up here and try it for yourself,” Shoffner says in each of the videos of the series, encouraging students to seek their own space and astronaut dreams.

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Aside from the pure joy of seeing astronauts having fun in orbit, the series will include educational materials to encourage learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Students will learn about amateur radio in space, the recycling system on the ISS that safely turns urine into drinkable water, the space toilets on board, science on the orbiting complex and physics concepts.

The series will remain free for students and teachers around the world after its release.