The mission, called AX-1, was brokered by a startup based in Houston, Texas Axiom Spacewhich books rocket flights, provides all necessary training, and coordinates flights to the International Space Station for those who can afford them.

AX-1, which was launched on 8th Aprilwas originally described as a 10-day task, but the delay extended the task by about a week.

During the first 12 days of their stay on the space station, the group adhered to a strict schedule, which included about 14 hours per day of activities, including scientific reseach that was It has been designed by many research hospitals, universities, technology companies, and more. They also spent time organizing awareness events through video conferences with children and students.

For each mission, obtaining the necessary support from NASA astronauts will cost commercial customers $5.2 million, and all mission support and planning that NASA lends is another $4.8 million. While in space, food alone costs an estimated $2,000 per day per person. Getting supplies to and from the space station for a commercial crew is $88,000 to $164,000 per person, per day.

But the additional days the AX-1 crew spent in space due to weather won’t add to their personal total price, according to a NASA statement.

“Knowing that ISS mission objectives such as the recent Russian spacewalk or weather challenges could lead to delays in ship docking, NASA negotiated the contract with a strategy that did not require reimbursement for additional delays in undocking,” the statement read. “.

But the AX-1 is the first mission with A crew composed entirely of private citizens with no active members of a government space corps accompanies them in the capsule during the flight to and from the International Space Station. It is also the first time that ordinary citizens have traveled to the International Space Station aboard a US-made spacecraft.