Future private astronaut flights to the International Space Station will be subject to new regulations from NASA that include a requirement that the mission commander be a former astronaut, as Space News reported.

NASA disclosed modifications to the specifications for upcoming requests for private astronaut missions, or PAMs, to the station in a procurement notice dated August 1. The improvements, according to the agency, were a result of lessons learned from the first such mission, the Ax-1 flight by Axiom Space in April, "and other recent civilian-crew missions."

One of the biggest changes, and one still being finalized according to the procurement notice, is a requirement that such missions have “a former flown NASA (U.S.) government astronaut” as a commander.

“A former NASA astronaut provides experienced guidance for the private astronauts during pre-flight preparation through mission execution,” the document states, and “provides a link between the resident ISS expedition crew and the private astronauts and reduces risk to ISS operations and PAM/ISS safety.”