Space habitat reports – Jan.20.2025

Here is a new selection of videos, articles, and news items about space habitats (govt and commercial), living in space, and space settlement.

=== International Space Station & NASA

** Space to Ground: Spacewalk 273: Jan. 17, 2025 NASA Johnson

** Space to Ground: In the Year 2025: Jan. 10, 2025NASA Johnson

NASA has big plans for science, research, and exploration aboard the International Space Station in 2025. From spacewalks, to hydroponic and aeroponic plant growth techniques, there’s a lot to look forward to in low Earth orbit. This November, we will celebrate 25 years of continuous human presence on the International Space Station.

** NASA astronaut Suni Williams sees orbital sunrise during spacewalk – Time-lapseVideoFromSpace

NASA astronaut Suni Williams works outside the International Space Station on Jan. 16, 2025.

** NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Talks with AstroKobi – January 8, 2025NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Don Pettit of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview Jan. 8 with the AstroKobi YouTube channel. Pettit is in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

** How Do Astronauts Exercise in Space? –  NASA Johnson

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station typically exercise for two hours each day. From running to cycling to weightlifting, learn how crew members complete fitness regimens in space and commit to staying healthy – even in microgravity.

=== India

** India’s SPADEX docking mission

The India space agency ISRO recently launched the SpaDeX Mission, which consisted of two satellites that carried out a rendezvous and docking operation to demonstrate technology for future ISRO space stations.

SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV. This technology is essential for India’s space ambitions such as Indian on Moon, sample return from the Moon, the building and operation of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), etc. In-space docking technology is essential when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve common mission objectives. Through this mission, India is marching towards becoming the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology.

On January 16th, the docking took place successfully: ISRO successfully completed docking of two SPADEX satellites (SDX-01 & SDX-02) in the early hours of 16 January, 2025.| ISRO – Jan.16.2025

More at:

** ISRO Successfully Conducts Space-Docking Test Under SpaDex Mission | WION

ISRO has completed the docking of satellites under its Space Docking Experiment – SpaDex mission. ISRO has released a video of successful docking on social media.

=== China

** Shenzhou-19 Crew Carry out In-Orbit Verification of Smart AssistantCCTV Video News Agency

[Jan.5.2025] Last week, the crew aboard the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft conducted a series of in-orbit verifications for China’s first space station intelligent flight robot, “Xiao Hang.”

=== Commercial space habitats

** Axiom Space

— Kam Ghaffarian, CEO and founder of  Axiom Space,  posts an op-edon why commercial space stations are essential for driving a thriving space economy and ensuring the U.S. remains a leader in space exploration” –  The Trump administration should leverage private space stations to counter China | SpaceNews – Jan.13.2025

The combination of NASA’s ambitious commercialization proclamations with the reality of its slow follow-through underscores the urgency for a strategic intervention. By forcing sharper focus on commercial space development, particularly on identifying the next U.S.-led space station, the administration can lay a solid foundation for sustained U.S. presence and leadership in space. The U.S. has long been a leader in space exploration, a position that is not only a matter of national pride but one of strategic importance. That leadership is contingent upon the ability to adapt quickly and effectively to the evolving landscape, and today, to quickly adjust from government-led to commercial-led space activities. With the new administration taking the helm, an exciting opportunity arises to enact meaningful change and drive remarkable progress. With bold and swift action, the U.S. can preserve its pioneering spirit, transcend terrestrial limits and sustain humanity’s journey beyond our planet.

— Plans for 2025:

** Gravitics

** StarlabVoyager Space

— Starlab expands in Europe: Starlab Space launches European subsidiary to boost international collaboration on its commercial space station | Starlab-Space – Jan.14.2025

Starlab Space LLC today announced the opening of its first overseas subsidiary, Starlab Space GmbH. Located in Bremen, Germany, it will extend the company’s capabilities and demonstrates its commitment to its international partners, maintaining global cooperation and permanent human presence, and expanding microgravity research opportunities in a commercial LEO economy.

“Successful and sustainable operation of a commercial space station requires international partners, and therefore, a presence beyond America’s borders,” said Tim Kopra, Starlab CEO. “We’re thrilled to launch Starlab Space Europe, a regional hub that will facilitate industrial efficiencies and expanded partnerships with allied space agencies, including the European Space Agency and its member countries. More importantly, joining American and European presence sets the stage for life beyond the ISS, one that has a global, permanent crew thriving in low-Earth orbit and leading research that can transform all of humanity.”

— Starlab’s CCO, Brad Henderson, discusses the future of space exploration, the role of commercial space stations, the decommissioning of the ISS, and how new technologies allow for affordable access and operation of commercial stations: Entering the Commercial Space Station Era | Kratos Constellations – Jan.16.2025

But while more cost-effective and frequent commercial space launch options will make it easier to get to the space station, they can’t solve a larger economic problem – the incredible cost of operating a space station. Thankfully, that’s one area where advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies could play a role.

“How do we optimize our operations? That is really important to the transition – increasing the efficiency to drive down costs. How do we optimize our operations, crew schedules, and logistics streams?” Henderson asked. “Use the technology of today. The AI. The edge computing. Use the different tools that are available to find efficiencies.”

Ultimately, these advancements in affordable commercial space launch, advanced AI solutions, and cutting-edge data relay services combine with many other advancements in life-support systems and other innovative technologies to open the door to a new era in space – the commercial space station era. This new era will be one of increased access to orbit – democratizing scientific research and advancement in microgravity, enabling space tourism, and making space a possible location for data centers and other critical infrastructure.

** VAST

— Haven set to begin structural testing of habitat module qualification article:

— Explore Vast’s in-house space station manufacturing capabilityVAST Youtube

A space station primary structure hasn’t been manufactured in the United States in decades. Haven-1 will be the world’s first commercial space station—a major step toward succeeding the ISS and advancing U.S. innovation and leadership in space. At the core of this effort is the Haven-1 qualification article, a full-scale model designed to rigorously test the structure’s strength, safety, and performance.

=== Space settlement

** In-space settlements

A Home on the High Frontier: Jeff Bezos is inspired by a vision that does not involve living on Mars—or on any planet besides Earth—but inhabiting artificial worlds in free space. | by Peter Hague, Quillette – Jan.20.2025

As a professor at Princeton, O’Neill developed, alongside his students, an alternative vision for space colonisation in which habitats would be constructed at gravitationally stable points called Lagrange Points in the vicinity of the Earth and Moon and made to rotate so that the centrifugal force felt by occupants would simulate gravity. Such stations would offer vastly more living space than is available on all the planetary surfaces in the solar system, and he therefore concluded that they would provide better locations for an expanding interplanetary civilisation in a repudiation of what Isaac Asimov jokingly referred to as the “planetary chauvinism” of science fiction.

O’Neill published a book entitled The High Frontier, which fleshed out his ideas, and lent his support to a NASA study that investigated the practicability of building such a habitat. He was reasonably well known at the time, having been interviewed on television about his ideas, but despite his immense influence in the space community he has since been largely forgotten by the broader public. His concepts enjoyed a brief popularity but then fell out of favour both because of political attacks from critics who disliked the idea of NASA spending money on such things, and because of the growing understanding that the Space Shuttle was never going to provide the cheap, regular access to space that such a project would require.

** Living in SpaceSpace Renaissance

Join Joseph Pelton, Adriano Autino, Tommaso Sgobba, Robert Zubrin, Simonetta di Pippo, Madhu Thangavelu, Henk Rogers, Gary Barnhard, Pascalle Efrenfreund, Susan Jewell, discussing about Living in Space.

=== Other space habitat and settlement news and articles:

=== Earth views from ISS

** Image captured by Astronaut Don Pettit on ISS:

See also A NASA astronaut may have just taken the best photo from space—ever | Ars Technica – Jan.14.2025.

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.

The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8

Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

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ISS after undocking of STS-132

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Outpost in Orbit:
A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station