What is the first commercially funded airlock module installed on the ISS?
Answer
Bishop Airlock
The first commercially funded airlock module installed on the ISS was the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock.
Bishop launched on SpaceX’s CRS-21 cargo mission on December 6, 2020, and Canadarm2 berthed it to the station’s Tranquility module later that month. Nanoracks developed it with Thales Alenia Space and Boeing, creating a privately funded facility for commercial, government, and research payloads.
The module expands the station’s ability to deploy CubeSats and other external experiments. It can also support trash disposal, reducing the amount of waste that must remain inside the station until a cargo spacecraft departs.
A common mix-up is Quest Airlock, which was the ISS’s primary crew airlock and supported spacewalks beginning in 2001. Bishop is different: it is a commercial payload airlock, designed to be moved by Canadarm2 rather than serving as the station’s astronaut airlock. Its name refers to the bishop chess piece, which moves diagonally.