Humans have occupied low Earth orbit (LEO) in the last half century with the Salyut, Skylab, Mir and Tiangong projects. International Space Station (ISS). Apart from providing Incredible views of Earth, these space stations have proven that humans can live and work in space, while bringing unique lessons about microgravity and the cosmos. They have taught us about the challenges of living in microgravity and the fragility of life beyond our planetary cradle.
But changing dynamics in the space industry are about to create a new era of private space stations that continue this tradition. The ISS — a multi-decade-long, multinational undertaking of collaboration and technological achievement — is coming to an end and may be decommissioned by 2030.
In turn, private companies including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Planet, Rocket Lab, Virgin Galactic, Axiom Space and Sierra Space are ready. Creating a new era of commercial space stations.
Related: NASA looks to private outposts to build on legacy of International Space Station
„In the short term, commercial space stations are an essential next step in filling the void left by the impending retirement of the ISS,” said Lauren Andrade, spokesperson for the Beyond Earth Institute. „Beyond that, commercial space stations offer flexibility and capital that government-run programs simply don’t have.”
Blue appearance — in collaboration with companies such as RedWire, Sierra Space and Boeing — develops Orbital reef, a mixed-use business and science park in LEO. The space station will be a scalable, modular outpost for research, manufacturing, tourism and more. Its main living space consists of 10 staff rooms.
„Commercial space stations open up more avenues for government and private companies to get involved in space activities,” Andrade told Space.com.
Both scope and volumes of operations will be expanded. Orbital Reef will contain the Sierra Space Inflatable Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) habitats, which will be packed into a new Glenn rocket payload fairing, but will expand once in orbit. Such a design would provide more volume than the separate, rigid ISS modules launched by the now-retired NASA space shuttles and Russian launch vehicles.
Sierra Space said in 2023 that it aims to launch the Pathfinder for LIFE by the end of 2026. The block has a volume of 10,600 cubic feet by 300 cubic meters. The company also proposed a larger, 49,440-cubic-foot (1,400 cubic meter) block. By comparison, the Kibo module, the largest single ISS module, has a volume of 5,474 cubic feet (155 cubic m).
As part of the transition to a new generation of space stations, Axiom Space hopes to send its first commercial module to the ISS By 2026
Both Axiom Space and Blue Origin have received support for these efforts from NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program. The Starlab The space station — a project involving NanoRocks, Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin — also won a NASA award and could arrive in 2028.
The plan is for NASA to be one of many customers, rather than a sole sponsor. In fact, another interested party is the European Space Agency, which has signed a memorandum of understanding with Voyager Space and Airbus for Starlab. This explains the strong initial interest, but will require more diverse business partners. Other players include California-based startup Vast, which plans to launch its first private station. Heaven-1On SpaceX by mid-2025 Hawk 9 Rocket.
Despite the gap between the ISS and commercial stations entering orbit, the Tiangong Space Station Ensures continuity in space. China’s three-module orbital outpost was completed in 2022 and now hosts a crew of three astronauts for six months at a time. In addition, the country is already looking at business opportunities for Tiangong – for example, by expanding the outpost with new modules and hosting. Business and tourism activities.
Expansion beyond LEO
International programs also extend beyond LEO. Construction of NASA’s Lunar Orbiter Gateway Space Station A base will soon launch into lunar orbit Future lunar exploration. The space station will host human habitation beyond LEO for the first time and will include commercial partners.
Because the gateway will circulate beyond Earth’s protective magnetic field, which will face additional challenges. These include high levels of radiation that threaten electronics and astronauts, as well as long travel times, high launcher requirements, and high communications and power requirements.
Artemis 4, currently scheduled for 2028, will be the first mission to send astronauts to Gateway. Astronauts will live and work in the habitable and logistics outpost, which is currently scheduled to launch in 2025, and NASA aims to add a second habitable module before the first crew mission arrives.
The emergence of commercial space companies and the expansion of our horizons to the moon can be seen as these companies contribute to lunar exploration. Lunar orbit and surface habitats, LEO technology and lunar exploration.
„As we’ve already seen with the expansion of the commercial space industry, I believe the future of commercial space stations is one of greater flexibility, faster development,” Andrade said, „and, at its core, one step beyond the constraints that limit human activity in space.”
The next 25 years promise significant advances in space exploration driven by the ingenuity and ambition of private companies. With the right support and levels of commitment and interest, these will be new orbital homes for research, innovation, business and international collaboration.