Axiom Space and KBR successfully completed the first unmanned thermal vacuum test of the Axiom External Mobility Unit (AxEMU). The unit is designed to support astronauts during the Artemis III mission, the first manned moon landing in more than 50 years.
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Axiom Space, which provides suits for NASA’s moon missions and is building a successor to the International Space Station, announced Thursday that it has raised $350 million.
Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and Type One Ventures led the round, with participation from Hungary-based IT firm 4iG and 1789 Capital, whose partners include Donald Trump Jr.
CEO Jonathan Sartain told reporters Thursday that Axiom Space, valued at more than $2.5 billion by PitchBook, plans to use the money for spacesuit capabilities and Modules 1 and 2 for the commercial space station.
“This financing reflects the continued strong confidence of institutional and strategic investors in Axiom Space’s leadership position,” said Sartain, who joined the company’s executive team in October.
The company’s latest funding round comes at a critical time for space technology. More investors are flocking to the space as excitement builds for SpaceX’s mega IPO scheduled for later this year.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to reindustrialize America’s defense systems and return American astronauts to the moon for the first time in 50 years have also increased enthusiasm.
Axiom Space has worked closely with SpaceX for years, sending commercial and government astronauts to the ISS ahead of its retirement in 2030.
Last month, NASA awarded the Houston-based company its fifth commercial astronaut mission, scheduled to launch as early as January 2027.
NASA is emerging from a chaotic transition period following Trump’s 2024 election victory. During that time, NASA was undergoing a leadership shakeup and faced dramatic personnel cuts.
Jared Isaacman, an ally of Elon Musk, was finally appointed to head the agency in December, more than a year after the president first nominated him for the role. The president had previously rescinded Isaacman’s nomination, citing concerns about his party affiliation.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy temporarily oversaw NASA. Mr. Duffy came under harsh criticism from Mr. Musk in October after the transportation secretary told reporters that SpaceX’s U.S. moon exploration program was delayed and that NASA would consider other contracts.
NASA’s Artemis mission has also suffered some setbacks. In 2024, the agency postponed launches for trips to the moon in 2026 and 2027 due to safety and technical concerns. One of those issues involved spacesuits.
Surtain said Thursday that the company is on track to deliver spacesuits to NASA by 2027 and is “on track at this point.”
“We are taking a multi-pronged approach to ensure the development is completed on time,” he said.
Axiom Space did not disclose the valuation at the time of the funding.
