Humans have occupied low Earth orbit (LEO) over the last half century thanks to the Salyut, Skylab, Mir and Tiangong programs, and of course International Space Station (ISS). In addition to providing incredible views of the earthThese space stations have proven that humans can live and work in space, while providing unique lessons about microgravity and space. They taught us about the challenges of living in microgravity and the fragility of life outside our planetary cradle.
But changing dynamics in the space industry are set to usher in a new era of private space stations tasked with continuing that legacy. The ISS—a decades-long multinational grand effort of cooperation and technological sophistication—is coming to an end and could be decommissioned around 2030.
Private companies – including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Planet, Rocket Lab, Virgin Galactic, Axiom Space and Sierra Space – are ready usher in a new era of commercial space stations.
Related: NASA is looking for private bases to build on the legacy of the International Space Station
“In the short term, commercial space stations are a necessary next step to fill the void left by the impending retirement of the ISS,” said Lauren Andrade, spokeswoman for the Beyond Earth Institute. “In addition, commercial space stations offer flexibility and capital that government projects simply don’t have.”
Blue origin — along with companies like Redwire, Sierra Space and Boeing — are building Orbital reef, a multipurpose business and science park in LEO. The space station will be a scalable, modular base for research, manufacturing, tourism and more. Its main station will contain 10 cabins for the crew.
“Commercial space stations open up more avenues for government and private entities to engage in space activities,” Andrade told Space.com.
Both the range of activities and the modules themselves will be expanded. Orbital Reef will feature Sierra Space’s inflatable station for a large integrated flexible environment (LIFE)., which will be packed into the New Glenn rocket’s launch envelope, but then expanded once it reaches orbit. Such a design would provide much more bulk than the discrete, rigid ISS modules launched by NASA’s now retired Space Shuttle and Russian launch vehicles.
Sierra Space stated in 2023 that it aims to launch a path finder for LIFE around the end of 2026. This module will have a volume of 10,600 cubic feet (300 cubic meters). The company also designed a larger module of 49,440 cubic feet (1,400 m3). By comparison, the Kibo module, the largest stand-alone module of the ISS, has a volume of 5,474 cubic feet (155 m3).
As part of the transition to a new generation of space stations, Axiom Space hopes to send its first commercial module to the ISS until 2026.
Both Axiom Space and Blue Origin received support for these initiatives from NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Commercial Development Program. The Starlab the space station — a project involving Nanoracks, Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin — also won a NASA award and could arrive as early as 2028.
The plan is for NASA to be just one of many customers, not the sole supporter. Another interested party is the European Space Agency, which signed a memorandum of understanding with Voyager Space and Airbus for Starlab. This is evidenced by strong early interest, but more and more diverse business partners will be required. Other players include California startup Vast, which plans to launch its first private station, Harbor – 1around mid-2025 on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Although there is a gap between the decommissioning of the ISS and commercial stations entering orbit, Tiangong Space Station will ensure a permanent presence in space. China’s three-module orbital base was completed in 2022 and now hosts crews of three astronauts for six months. In addition, the country is already looking for commercial opportunities for Tiangong – for example, expanding the base with new modules and hosting trade and tourism missions.
Extension beyond LEO
International projects will expand beyond LEO. NASA Moon Orbit Construction Gateway Space Station will soon begin in lunar orbit as a basis for future lunar exploration. The space station will provide a human environment outside of LEO for the first time and will include commercial partners.
Because Gateway will continue to orbit Earth’s protective magnetic fieldwill face a number of other challenges. These include higher radiation levels that threaten both electronics and astronauts, as well as longer travel times, higher demands on the launch vehicle, and higher 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 aboard 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 crewed mission arrives.
The rise of commercial space companies and the expansion of our horizons to the moon could lead to these companies contributing to lunar exploration. Lunar orbit and surface habitat, LEO technology and lunar exploration.
“As we’ve already seen with the expansion of the commercial space sector, I believe the future of commercial space stations lies in greater flexibility, faster development,” Andrade said, “and at its core, it’s a step toward breaking the barriers 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 level of engagement and interest, these will be new orbital homes for research, innovation, business and international collaboration.