Exclusive: Saudi Arabia buys pair of SpaceX astronaut seats from Axiom -sources – Reuters

Exclusive: Saudi Arabia buys pair of SpaceX astronaut seats from Axiom -sources – Reuters

PARIS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is planning to launch two astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a space capsule from Elon Musk's SpaceX, becoming the latest Gulf nation to strengthen ties with private U.S. space companies, according to three people familiar with the arrangement.

The sources, speaking anonymously to discuss the mission's crew before its formal announcement, said the deal was signed privately earlier this year with Houston's Axiom Space, which arranges and manages private missions to space on U.S. spacecraft for researchers and tourists.