Review of the four private space stations presently under construction
Link here. The review provides a nice summary of the status of all four stations, being built by Axiom, Vast, and consortiums led by Blue Origin (Orbital Reef) and Voyager Space (Starlab).
The article included one piece of new news, based on recent stories suggesting major financial issues at Axiom:
As a result of these issues, the Axiom Station is believed to have been downsized to two modules from the originally planned four. There will be a reduced research capability from this arrangement compared to what was expected. However, it remains to be seen if additional capability can be added after the station becomes operational.
The original plan had been to separate the station from ISS once all four modules were launched. Whether it will be able to do so, flying independent of ISS’s systems with only two modules is unclear.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Link here. The review provides a nice summary of the status of all four stations, being built by Axiom, Vast, and consortiums led by Blue Origin (Orbital Reef) and Voyager Space (Starlab).
The article included one piece of new news, based on recent stories suggesting major financial issues at Axiom:
As a result of these issues, the Axiom Station is believed to have been downsized to two modules from the originally planned four. There will be a reduced research capability from this arrangement compared to what was expected. However, it remains to be seen if additional capability can be added after the station becomes operational.
The original plan had been to separate the station from ISS once all four modules were launched. Whether it will be able to do so, flying independent of ISS’s systems with only two modules is unclear.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
An interesting and timely roundup, especially given Vast’s recent revelation of its Haven-2 plans in Milan. Given that Vast appears to have adequate funds and is following the SpaceX model of being quite vertically integrated as well as in setting aggressive schedule goals, I think the company has to be considered the current front-runner. Starlab, I would judge to be in second place, Orbital Reef to be in third place and Axiom to be bringing up the rear in fourth place.
If Axiom falls by the wayside, we would not only lose the planned Axiom Station, but NASA would also lose its only remaining lunar EVA space suit contractor. That would, of course, make SpaceX the only entity likely able to produce suitable suits on the schedule required – something it seems pretty clear SpaceX intends to pursue even if Axiom survives.
I think SpaceX’s Starship efforts in 2025 – while also including the likely first deployments of Version 3 Starlinks – will be dominated by aggressive pushes to advance all of the capabilities needed to support SpaceX’s Artemis program obligations as well as major progress on a Dear Moon-ish Starship version to support launch and return of sizable crews directly from and back to Earth, respectively. NASA has all but declared SpaceX to be the thing holding up the notional Artemis mission schedule. I don’t think Musk likes that at all so I foresee a full-court press in the coming year to make it plain, by next year’s end, that SpaceX will have all of its Artemis ducks in a row before NASA can say the same – especially whatever NASA decides to do about the problematic Orion heat shield.
I’ll be shocked if any of these are ever launched, and even more so, manned, as independent (ie., not attached to ISS) space stations.
Unless SpaceX decides to get in the space station business, leaving a Starship in orbit with as much habitable volume as ISS, I doubt there will be any private space stations. This is just another pipe dream for dumb investment bankers.
VAST thinks big at least