THE race to replace the International Space Station (ISS) is rapidly gaining momentum as the orbital outpost nears its retirement date.
In just seven years, Nasa hopes to have a fully fledged replacement to the off-planet lab that has served space science since 1998.
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And several companies are gunning for the chance to have their proposals selected by Nasa, and build the successor.
California-headquartered Vast is just one of those companies, having put forward a new ISS-successor, dubbed the Haven-2, at today’s International Astronautical Congress.
The X-shaped orbital habitation hub boasts a robotic arm for deliveries, berthing capabilities for visiting vehicles, as well as giant 1.1metre dome windows to soak in the breathtaking views.
The first iteration of the space station could be fully operational in orbit by 2028, the firm claims.
That’s if Nasa chooses the proposal in 2026, as part of its phase 2 selection for the Commercial LEO Destination (CLD) programme.
“Our focus this decade is to win the Nasa Commercial LEO Destination contract and build the successor to the International Space Station,” Max Haot, Vast CEO, said in a statement.
“To achieve this, we will first demonstrate our capability by building and operating the world’s first commercial space station, Haven-1, which is set to launch in 2025.”
Between 2030 and 2032, Vast has plans to add a larger 7m diameter core module and four more Haven-2 modules to create a mega space-based hub.
Once this work is complete, astronauts aboard the Haven-2 will enjoy 16 windows, more than double the amount on the ISS.
The company plans to use the significant private investment it has received for the incredibly luxurious commercial space station concept, the Haven-1, it revealed last week as the building blocks for Haven-2.
The Haven-1 is kitted out with Japandi-style interior design, online communication tech to phone home, and even remedies poor sleeping arrangements for astronauts – or astrotourists.
But the Haven-2 will be about 5metres longer, doubling the living space.
It will also incorporate more lab equipment and in-space manufacturing facilities to meet Nasa’s requirements.
Andrew Feustel, a Nasa astronaut for over 23 years, has advised Vast on the next-generation of astronauts that will be required for comfortable, long periods in space.
Now more countries than ever are going to space, be it via astronauts or spacecraft, the new space station will have to reflect that.
“Haven-2 is being designed with compatibility in mind, ensuring that international partners can integrate seamlessly into this next-generation platform,” said Feustel.
“This vision of global cooperation in space will create opportunities for scientific and technological advancements, benefiting new and current sovereign partners as well as industries around the world.”
The Haven-2 also has the space to offer an entire module or a specific laboratory facility to international partners.
Hot competition
The ISS has been orbiting Earth since 1998 – but nothing within Earth’s orbit can stay in space forever.
The station will continue working until 2030, before plunging into the Pacific Ocean in early 2031, according to Nasa.
In December 2021, the US space agency announced it was awarding a total of $415million (£326million) to three different companies — Blue Origin, Nanoracks (plus Voyager Space) and Northrop Grumman — to help cement their commercial space station concepts.
Nasa also has separate agreements with Vast and Texas-based Axiom Space, which is working on its own private outpost as well as a new series of spacesuits.
Northtop Grumman had initially had its own plans for a space station when Nasa funded it.
However, the company dropped its idea in October last year, to assist Voyager Space with Starlab instead.