Proposed Space Station Could Be Deployed in a Single Launch

Florida startup Max Space announced plans to launch a prototype of its commercial space station by 2027, testing its expandable habitat technology that aims to reduce the number of trips required to build an orbital laboratory.

Thunderbird is a single-module space station designed to expand to a volume of 12,360 cubic feet (350 cubic metres) once in orbit. Instead of launching multiple missions to collect an assortment of modules, the entire Thunderbird space station could be packed inside SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and launched on a single mission.

This week, Max Space revealed that a smaller prototype of the space station called Mission Evolution is set to launch on a SpaceX ride-share mission in early 2027, SpaceNews reports. The mission will test the space station’s orbital debris protection system, as well as its environmental control and life support systems.

one more done

Max Space was founded in 2023 with the aim of offering its expandable module technology to other companies to help build their own space stations. Although the startup had no initial intention of building its own space station, the revised approach to NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations (CLD) program prompted a change of heart.

The space agency is looking for commercial alternatives to the International Space Station, which is scheduled to be retired by 2030. Instead of fixed price contracts for companies, NASA is now offering smaller, more affordable, multi-funded Space Act agreements for the development and initial demonstration of commercial space stations. “It was very clear that this was an opportunity for us to put forward a proposal to show how these modules could actually be used for human habitation,” Salim Mian, chief executive officer of Max Space, told SpaceNews.

The main feature of the station that differentiates it from other commercial accommodations is that it is designed with an expandable structure that differs from inflatable modules. Thunderbird uses soft elements for the interior of the station and an adjustable layout that allows the crew to relocate the living space for other uses, such as to run experiments in low Earth orbit. It can be launched on a medium-lift vehicle such as a Falcon 9 rocket.

Thunderbird is designed to host four astronauts at all times, with a morphable internal structure that can be reconfigured by the crew to support various activities on the space station. Commercial space stations can be used for research as well as orbital manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and other materials.

Max Space plans to launch its space station into orbit as early as 2029. The company also aims to configure Thunderbird to be used as a habitat for astronauts around the Moon and Mars.