This past week the second private space mission of Axiom Space in Collaboration with NASA and SpaceX launched to the International Space Station on an eight-day journey which culminated on Memorial Day.  With the addition of the Axiom crew, the International Space Station was host to three Russian cosmonauts, five American astronauts, one astronaut from the UAE, and two astronauts from Saudi Arabia.  At a time when countless US dollars are being funneled into funding and promoting the ongoing carnage in Ukraine—which could extinguish all of humanity—and additional billions are wasted on a globalist energy agenda aimed at putting humanity under uniform feudal living conditions on earth, these eleven astronauts performing visionary and transformative scientific experiments together in near space presents the starkest of contrasts on this Memorial Day.

The crew of Ax-2 worked on experiments in bioengineering, regenerative medicine, cancer research, technology demonstrations, communications, and much more.  Launched on May 21st on a Space X Falcon 9 Rocket, and successfully docked at the ISS on May 22nd, the Ax-2 Crew joined the seven astronauts and cosmonauts already aboard the ISS.  The Ax-2 crew was led by American Axiom Space Astronaut Commander Peggy Wittson, an American biochemistry researcher, and former NASA chief astronaut.  Prior to this launch, Peggy had clocked a total of 665 days in space, more than any other woman in the world.  She was joined by pilot John Shoffner, a 67-year-old American driver in the Carrera cup and GT3 class races, investor, and pilot who paid for a seat on the Axiom Mission 2. The two Saudi Arabian Astronauts flying on the Ax-2 mission were  Mission Specialist Ali AlQarni, a captain in the Royal Saudi Air Force, and Mission Specialist Rayyanah Barnawi, a biomedical researcher and the first Saudi female astronaut selected by the Saudi Space Commission.  The farewell ceremony of the Axiom-2 crew, held on Memorial Day, at the completion of their 8 day mission was emotional for all who watched and participated.

While aboard the Station, the  Ax-2 crew conducted over two dozen different experiments to help expand knowledge in broad areas of research aimed at benefiting life on Earth. You can find detailed descriptions of the research conducted during the mission on the Axiom Space website. You will also find daily mission updates reporting on the research activities of the crew while on the ISS.

On Sunday, the crew conducted an on orbit science briefing with Axiom Space chief scientist Dr. Lucie Low. Research conducted by the crew consisted of Space Tissue and Regenerative Research in the life science glove box on the ISS.  This research was done in partnership with Axiom Space and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine: engineered liver and kidney tissue constructions were sent on the Ax-2 mission to assess the impact of microgravity on vascularization of thick tissues. This research could lead to building blocks of tissues for transplants into patients back on Earth.

Rayyanah conducted research in a DNA therapeutic study done in collaboration with the University of Connecticut, Eascra Biotech, and Advanced Solutions Life Sciences, to study the impact of microgravity on producing stem cells—using space to evaluate the steps used in Earth-based reprogramming of skin cells into stem cells capable of producing a variety of tissue types, such as heart, brain, and blood cells, which could support regenerative medicine uses on Earth.

Some of the most fascinating experiments involved the study of cancer in low Earth orbit. This research was done in collaboration with Stanford Stem Cell Institute. The cancer research conducted was a follow-on to a project flown on Ax-1, modeling tumor organoids. Ax-2  conducted experiments expanding the tumor organoid model and testing how cancer clones  itself and affects drug resistance.  This research involved cancer cells from the colon.  Other research was done on leukemia to test whether the disease involves activation of a cancer cloning gene called ADAR 1.  That is a gene which provides instructions for making a protein involved in editing RNA, a cousin to DNA.  Other studies were done on breast cancer with respect to how that cancer invades and spreads to other parts of the body and determining whether ADAR 1 is helping to facilitate that spread.

In addition, the Saudi mission specialist also conducted STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) research experiments with kites in collaboration with students on the ground to test the aerodynamic behavior of kites in microgravity with the Nanoracks Space Kite payload.

While reviewing this mission I was also reading a beautiful address by Lyndon LaRouche from 2004 posted on the LaRouchePAC website titled,  "Memorial Day: The Lessons of Wartime for Statecraft Today, He says there:

"The greatest thing about being human, is to be truly a person who acts in a way, which justifies the characterization of a being, man and woman equally, made in the image of the Creator of the Universe. Given the power to transform this Universe, capable of transmitting these discoveries from one generation to another, to build the human race from its initial imperfection as a beast-like creature with this quality, into something much better.

“And therefore, if I can do something with my life, which helps that process, then my life really means something. And I can go out of this life wearing a smile, because I have won. I have won the battle for the meaning of a personal life.

“Therefore, when it comes to war, or things like war, the person on the other side is a human being, made in the image of the Creator of the Universe as we are, of the same nature and the same true, fundamental interest, if they but know it. Therefore, the function of war is to defend this heritage, this cultural heritage, that we have been given, but to invite others to share it with us.  Invite them to enter into fraternity with us.  And say, stop being a fool.  We will defend—if you go crazy, like a madman, and do something evil—we're going to stop you, if we have to.  But we will rejoice, when you become human and accept the conditions of fraternity and peace. . . .  When thinking of future generations, of your children and grandchildren, this must  be the commitment always at the front of your mind.  How are you contributing to bettering the conditions of life for current and  future generations?”

This type of mission answers that profound purpose.  Like President Trump’s visionary Artemis program for colonizing the Moon and Mars, it can moralize and mobilize our youngsters, now drowned in a culture of despair here on Earth, to look to the stars and lift all humans in a joint mission to realize the joy of being truly human, provided the news of similar missions is broadcast to them far and wide.