So… What's up with private space stations?
can we even take them seriously? From what I know, the playtime is over, with the new deorbiting contract given to SpaceX, it's time that the private space stations finally become serious(if they weren't already).
So the 4 best contenders I know are:
- Axiom Space Station It will be constructed on the ISS before separating when they have to deorbit.
- VAST-Haven-1 VAST is another company based out of Long Beach and is going to be a single-module space station to launch on Falcon 9. All crewed launches will take place don't the Crew Dragon which is connected by Starlink. It will launch NET August 2025.
- Sierra Space LIFE Module While this is a singular module Sierra once mentioned they could dock multiple LIFE modules together too to make a lively space home and research centre.
- Blue Origin Orbital Reef Since BO is so tight-lipped, it is very common for us to see them as not making progress(I was one of them not too long back) however, NASA now is announcing some burst tests of their modules so it should be making progress. BO has repeatedly mentioned that they will be making this like a mixed-use business park.
Note: BO and Sierra were collaborating on Orbital Reef, they still might be but news suggests that the partnership is shaking but are not announcing it. But Sierra's sudden focus on solely making the LIFE module and making a space station out of it may suggest the same.
Edit: You guys might wanna check this link for sources and updates.
Let me know what you guys think below!
What's up with Private Space Stations?
byu/RocketMan_Kerman inspace
8 Comments
>can we even take them seriously?
In the same way that you can take McDonald’s seriously, sure.
It will only be a matter of time until someone makes a space station out of Starship hulls.
Did BO ever fix their toxic leadership culture that caused them to fall so far behind. If they have then I think they can make a cool succesful space station. If not they will be eclipsed by better companies. Money can only take you so far in Space exploration.
There’s also Starlab: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlab_(space_station)
Expected launch in 2028, single module.
You forgot to include [Vast’s Haven-1](https://www.vastspace.com/) – on schedule to launch about this time in 2025. I’ve been inside their factory in Long Beach and wow – that is a busy place.
It’s probably the most ambitious thing a private space company can possibly accomplish. There’s also the economics of running & maintaining a space station. I think the issue is not many private companies want to foot the bill of running & maintaining a space station & try running it as a space hotel. What if they eventually stop receiving customers? They’d eventually get ruined & it would be a multi billion dollar waste.
Hope they’re better than private submarines taking folks to the Titanic.
Might be better, though, for companies like Boeing who are probably pretty miffed with all the safety nonsense causing their stocks to fall and such If theu hadn’t had to dock with a.NASA controlled station, they could have rolled the dice and just had the passengers load up in their hinkey capsule and hoped for the best. Who knows? It might have been a just fine.
Off topic, but reading this in my feed, I heard Jerry Seinfeld speak this beginning.