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United States Michael Lopez-Alegria has transitioned from a decorated NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy Test Pilot into a leader in commercial space, commanding an all-private mission to the International Space Station.
López-Alegría is currently the chief astronaut for Axiom Space. He commanded the crew of Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), the first private mission to the ISS in human spaceflight history, and Axiom Mission 3.
Michael López-Alegría is a decorated astronaut who returned to low-Earth orbit for the sixth time in 2024 as commander of Axiom Mission 3. He joined Axiom Space, Inc. as director of business development and astronaut in 2017 and is now Chief Astronaut.
Michael López-Alegría is a former U.S. Navy Test Pilot, NASA Astronaut, and currently serves as Chief Astronaut at Axiom Space. He has spent more time in space than any other non-Russian astronaut.
Featured in a podcast discussing 'Building a Commercial Space Station' with Amir Blachman, focusing on the International Space Station (ISS) and commercial space initiatives.
NASA and its international partners approved the crew for Axiom Space's third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, commanded by Michael López-Alegría.
Michael Lopez-Alegria, born Miguel Eladio Lopez Alegria on May 30, 1958, in Madrid, Spain, and raised in Mission Viejo, California, is a highly experienced astronaut and U.S. Navy veteran. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in systems engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980, followed by a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1988. After becoming a Naval Aviator in 1981, his esteemed career included roles as a flight instructor, EP-3E aircraft pilot and mission commander, and engineering test pilot. He has accumulated over 5,700 pilot hours across more than 30 different aircraft types. Lopez-Alegria is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Russian.
Lopez-Alegria joined NASA in August 1992, embarking on an extensive spaceflight career that included four missions to space. His early NASA roles involved serving as the Astronaut Office technical point of contact for space shuttle projects and providing crew representation at Kennedy Space Center during launches and landings. Following his first spaceflight, he was appointed NASA Director of Operations at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. He later led the International Space Station (ISS) Operations branch of the Astronaut Office and served as technical liaison to the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Office. He holds the American record for the most EVAs (10) and total EVA duration (67 hours and 40 minutes). He also set the record for the longest space mission by an American astronaut, spending 215 days aboard the ISS.
In 2017, after retiring from NASA in March 2012 and serving as President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Lopez-Alegria joined Axiom Space as Director of Business Development. He has continued his spaceflight achievements, commanding Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) in April 2022, the first all-private mission to the International Space Station, and Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) in January 2024. These missions further solidified his contributions to both government and commercial space exploration, marking a significant career progression from military aviator to a leading figure in the private space industry.
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