Europe-based The Exploration Company is gearing up to compete with in-space delivery providers SpaceX and Northrop Grumman, with the startup announcing this week that it had signed a preliminary cargo delivery agreement with private space station aspirant Axiom Space. Axiom agreed to purchase a full mission from The Exploration Company no sooner than the fourth quarter of 2027, provided that the startup meets certain milestones by 2025, The Exploration Company CEO Hélène Huby explained to TechCrunch in a recent interview. “This is our main business, servicing space stations,” she said.