In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Settlement

Space habitat reports – Mar.10.2025

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: On the Station, On the Moon: March 07, 2025 – NASA Johnson

NASA’s Space to Ground is your weekly update on what’s happening aboard the International Space Station.

** Space to Ground: The Power of 10: Feb. 28, 2025 – NASA Johnson

** Space to Ground: Hailing Frequencies: Feb. 07, 2025 – NASA Johnson

** NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Pre-Departure News Conference – Tuesday, March 4, 2025 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore gave remarks about their mission during a news conference March 4. The Crew-9 astronauts will return to Earth via a parachute assisted splashdown later this month. The four crew members have been 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.

** Progress MS-30 docking – SciNews

The Progress MS-30 spacecraft autonomously docked to the aft port of the Zvezda service module, on the International Space Station, on 1 March 2025, at 23:02 UTC (18:02 EST). Progress MS-30 (ISS Progress 91 mission) delivers approximately three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the crew aboard the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA/Roscosmos
Music: “Waltz of the Flowers by Tchaikovsky” courtesy of YouTube Audio Library

** What if the ISS was retired early? – Laura Forczyk

Elon Musk is calling for the International Space Station to be deorbited earlier than the currently planned 2030, even as early as 2027. How would that work with SpaceX’s US Deorbit Vehicle and NASA’s international partners? What would happen with the ongoing microgravity research?

None of the commercial space stations will be ready in time for long-term habitation, and alternatives ideas such as using Starship as a space station aren’t guaranteed to happen in time, either. How much would China benefit from having the Tiangong, the only low-Earth orbit destination? Congress is going to push back on any proposal by the Trump Administration to “abandon LEO” in favor of sending astronauts to Mars, but how this plays out is to be seen.

** Visualizing the scale of the ISS:

** ISS crewmember Matthew Dominick, with the assistance of Don Pettit, demonstrates the basics of propellant transfer in micro-gravity and have fun doing it:

** NASA Astronaut Suni Williams Talks with the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association- February 25, 2025 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 72 commander Suni Williams of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview Feb. 25 with the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. Williams, a graduate of the academy, 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.

=== Commercial space habitats

** Axiom Space

— Axiom and Red Hat to demonstrate orbital data center on the ISS in 2025: Red Hat Teams Up with Axiom Space to Launch, Optimize the Space Company’s Data Center Unit-1 On Orbit | Red Hat – Mar.6.2025

Red Hat, Inc., the world’s leading provider of open source solutions and Axiom Space, leading provider of in-space infrastructure, will collaborate on Axiom Space’s Data Center Unit-1 (AxDCU-1), targeted to launch in spring 2025 to the International Space Station. Powered by Red Hat Device Edge, the data processing prototype will conduct tests on the space station and demonstrate initial Orbital Data Center (ODC) capabilities. 

The prototype will test applications in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), data fusion and space cybersecurity. AxDCU-1 is part of Axiom Space’s ongoing work to develop era-defining space infrastructure.

Red Hat Device Edge combines an enterprise-ready and supported distribution of the Red Hat-led open source community project MicroShift, a lightweight Kubernetes distribution derived from the edge capabilities of Red Hat OpenShift, along with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. Red Hat Device Edge will enable Axiom Space to host hybrid cloud applications and cloud-native workloads on-orbit. 

Axiom Space’s ODCs are designed to bring tangible benefits to humanity on Earth and reduce delays traditionally associated with orbital data processing and analysis. By utilizing Earth-independent cloud storage and edge processing infrastructure, Axiom Space ODCs will enable data to be processed closer to its source, spacecraft or satellites, bypassing the need for terrestrial-based data centers. This architecture alleviates reliance on costly, slow, intermittent or contested network connections, creating more secure and quicker decision-making in space.

The goal is to allow Axiom Space and its partners to have access to real-time processing capabilities, laying the foundation for increased reliability and improved space cybersecurity with extensive applications. Use cases for ODCs include but are not limited to supporting Earth observation satellites with in-space and lower latency data storage and processing, AI/ML training on-orbit, multi-factor authentication and cyber intrusion detection and response, supervised autonomy, in-situ space weather analytics and off-planet backup & disaster recovery for critical infrastructure on Earth. 

** Gravitics

— Preliminary design review completed for the first module of the Gravitics station module:

** Sierra Space

— Sierra Space highlights research projects to be carried to the ISS on the Dream Chaser spaceplane:  Sierra Space to Advance Cancer Research on Inaugural Dream Chaser® Spaceplane Mission to the International Space Station | Sierra Space – Feb.28.2025

Among the research initiatives being undertaken in collaboration with Merck is the investigation of experimental formulations of monoclonal antibody therapies for cancer. This research aims to leverage the effects of microgravity to develop high-concentration amorphous suspensions, paving the way for improved therapeutic drug delivery methods. For instance, new formulations could allow for injections administered subcutaneously rather than through intravenous transfusion. Additional potential benefits include the creation of therapies with greater stability, potentially enabling storage without the need for refrigeration.

All of this will be made possible in the Merck Formulation Research Platform that will ride aboard Dream Chaser. The Merck Formulation Research Platform was developed in collaboration with the Merck 3D Printing Department and Sierra Space.

This is the first announcement of a commercial contact partner for Sierra Space’s upcoming Dream Chaser mission, highlighting payload “rideshare” capabilities of the spaceplane. Cargo will also include NASA supplies for astronauts currently aboard the space station.

— Tour an Inflatable Space Habitat! – NOVA Education

Join NOVA Education for a tour of a new generation of inflatable space habitats that are being designed to allow humans to live and work in space and eventually on Mars.

Featured in NOVA’s “Building Stuff” series, Sierra Space is an aerospace company working with NASA to create an inflatable space habitat called LIFE, Large Integrated Flexible Environment. In this virtual field trip, Sierra Space engineer and program manager Beth Licavoli will walk us through the production of the inflatable habitat, explain how they test the structure of the habitat, and give us a tour inside a fully inflated habitat.

— Gardening in space:  Madison’s Sierra Space is figuring out how to grow veggies at zero-g | captimes.com – Feb.21.2025

** Starlab – Voyager Technologies

— A big step made in development of the Starlab station: Starlab Advances to Full Development After Successfully Completing Key NASA Milestone | Voyager – Mar.3.2025

Over the next year, Starlab aims to:

Establish a System Integration Lab to serve as the central hub for avionics, computing, sensors and software testing.
Procure long lead materials for critical subsystems.
Develop a high-fidelity mock-up to support astronaut training and systems testing, with full assembly at NASA’s Johnson Space Center this summer.
Advance key life support technologies, including an Advanced Urine Processor.
Continue progress on the Optical Link Demo Mission, enhancing future deep-space communication capabilities.
Begin construction of Engineering Design Units and Protoflight hardware.

— Starlab wins Texas space grant: Starlab Space Awarded $15 Million for Commercial Space Station | Starlab – Feb.10.2025

Starlab Space LLC was awarded $15 million, the highest amount awarded to a commercial space company to date, by the Texas Space Commission as part of their Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund grant program. The intent of the SEARF program is to strengthen the space industry in Texas. The grant to Starlab not only supports a Houston-based business but will also help grow Starlab’s ecosystem of suppliers and customers across the state.

“Starlab is setting the stage for life beyond the ISS and a low-Earth orbit environment where a crew with a continuous presence can thrive and accelerate innovative research and development,” said Starlab CEO Tim Kopra. “To ensure the success of our future space missions, we are starting with state-of-the-art testing facilities that will include the closest approximation to the flight environment as possible and allow us to verify requirements and validate the design of the Starlab space station.”

The Systems Integration Lab will include two labs, the main SIL and a Software Verification Facility. The SIL will house flight-like hardware for testing. In this environment, engineers and astronauts can check systems designed for the Starlab space station, catching any potential issues in advance and ensuring efficient and effective operations in space. The SVF will contain a simulated station environment with flight computers and serve as the primary software integration and requirements verification facility.

This award is in addition to the $217.5 million Starlab received from NASA through the Commercial LEO Destinations Phase 1 program to transition activity from the International Space Station to commercial destinations.

** VAST

— Construction underway for flight version of the Haven-1 single-module space station:

— NASASpaceFlight visits Vast and reports on the progress of their space station program: Vast space station qualification article passes major milestone | NASASpaceFlight.com – Feb,11,2025

Vast is one step closer to launching its first private commercial space station. The company recently completed testing of its Haven-1 qualification article in Mojave, California, and reported that it successfully passed its tests. The company’s current goal is to launch the flight article aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than May 2026.

During a tour of Vast’s facilities in Long Beach, California, with NSF’s John Galloway and D Wise, Vast gave insights into their plans to eventually win a NASA contract to allow their larger space station, Haven-2, to act as a replacement following the deorbiting of the International Space Station (ISS), which is currently scheduled for 2030.

“None of us are actual space station companies,” Vast CEO Max Haot said. “I don’t have a space station in orbit. I cannot have a crew go to it and come back. Neither have any of our competitors… so if we want to create this amazing future, we need to exist. To exist, we need to be profitable. So, to be profitable, we believe we need NASA as an anchor customer.”

— The Race to Replace the ISS | VAST’s American-Made Space Station | NASASpaceFlight on Youtube

The International Space Station has inspired generations, but its time is running out. So who’s building the next space station? We take you inside VAST’s Long Beach factory to see the cutting-edge technology behind their upcoming Haven-1 space station!

Join us for an exclusive tour with VAST CEO Max Haot, and their bold mission to become America’s next space station provider.

Discover:
✔️ VAST’s plan for an artificial gravity space station
✔️ Haven-1: The first commercial space station launching on Falcon 9
✔️ Exclusive look at space station hardware & technology ️
✔️ The Race to replace the ISS | VAST’s Commercial Space Station

Check out VAST: https://www.vastspace.com/
VAST Careers Page: https://www.vastspace.com/careers

NSF would like to thank VAST and Max Haot for the incredible all access pass to their facilities.

— Update on the testing of qualification version of the Haven-1 habitat module:

— Lengthy review of the company’s progress and plans: Vast Passes Critical Haven-1 Test Milestone | VAST – Feb.6.2025

We are proud to report that Haven-1 successfully passed its primary structure qualification proof test on the first attempt—a critical milestone in our journey.

This achievement demonstrates:

The full proof qualification of a space station pressure vessel
A space station structure designed, built, and tested entirely in-house by Vast
A record timeline—completed in just 15 months from zero aluminum work to a proof tested structure

This is just the beginning of Vast’s vehicle operations. Our team is incredibly proud of this milestone and remains focused on what’s next.

Over the coming weeks, we will complete the full qualification test campaign, which involves:

Applying simulated launch and on-orbit forces using hydraulic actuators
Conducting structural load tests under pressure
Replicating the flight conditions the vehicle will experience in orbit

Stay tuned for updates on our social media and a full blog post once the campaign is complete.

In the meantime, our core team remains focused on our critical path—building the Haven-1 flight primary structure.

Here is their latest timeline for the Haven-1 project:

Vast schedule for Haven-1construction, launch, and initiation of operations. Credits: Vast

The company says,

This is an ambitious timeline, especially for a program of this scale within the crewed systems and space station industry.

We announced Haven-1 in May 2023 with no facilities and a team of fewer than 140 people. Today, we have over 700 team members, nearly 200,000 square feet of operational space, and 16 acres dedicated to manufacturing, integration, testing, and training.

If all goes as planned, we will have designed, built, and launched the world’s first commercial space station in three years—a pace never before achieved in human spaceflight.

=== Overviews of commercial space station projects

** Michael Sheetz on X: “My newsletter readers technically saw this announcement first last week | Michael Sheetz on  X – Feb.10.2025

… I reached out to each of these companies this week to get the most up-to-date timelines for their projects. All but Blue Origin responded, so here’s the latest rundown of when those launches are planned:

    • Vast Haven-1 – 2026 Q2
    • Gravitics Demonstration – 2026
    • Axiom Payload Power Thermal Module (PPTM) – 2027
    • Blue Origin Orbital Reef – 2027*
    • Axiom Hab-1 – 2028
    • Vast Haven-2 – Late 2028
    • Voyager Starlab – mid-2029

* Orbital Reef info not confirmed and may be out of date.

=== Chinese space habitats

** Shenzhou-19 Crew Advances Space Experiments Four Months into Mission – CCTV Video News Agency

China’s Shenzhou-19 astronauts aboard the country’s Tiangong space station have now spent four months in orbit, successfully conducting a series of scientific experiments while maintaining good physical and mental health, according to China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

** Shenzhou-19 Crew Continues Scientific Exploration, Space Station Maintenance – CCTV Video News Agency

China’s Shenzhou-19 astronauts have been conducting multi-disciplinary experiments and technical verifications in their four-month stay in the Tiangong space station, thereby gathering essential data and experience for future missions, according to China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

=== Lunar habitation

** How Gateway Will Support NASA’s Artemis Campaign and Pave the Way for Future Mars Missions – NASA Johnson

“We know how to live and work in low Earth orbit. Now, it’s time to go further.” Gateway, humanity’s first lunar space station, will advance science and exploration on and around the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign. Gateway will also help NASA and its partners test the technologies and operations essential for a sustained presence in deep space, laying the groundwork for the first human mission to Mars. This video brings together insights from the “Houston We Have a Podcast” miniseries on Gateway, “Lunar Space Station 101,” where NASA leaders and astronauts discuss how Gateway will shape the future of space exploration.

Voices featured: NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, deputy director for NASA’s Exploration Operations Office Stephanie Dudley, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, and NASA’s Lunar Architecture Lead Shatel Bhakta.

=== Mars habitation

** The New Case for Mars – SpaceNews

In this week’s episode of Space Minds, meet Mars Society president Robert Zubrin, who reflects on his lifelong fascination with Mars, the nature of future martian settlements, and humanity’s fate as a multiplanetary species.

And don’t miss our co-hosts Space Take on important stories before we close the Space Loop this week with trivia and feedback from you.

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

=== Earth views from ISS

** ISS crewmember Don Pettit posts some imagery from the station:

** Live video from ISS via SEN camera: Sen: capturing Earth’s beauty from space in 4K | NASASpaceFlight.com – Feb.19.2025

Sen is on a mission to democratize space through the use of high-quality video from space. The cameras it has launched into space so far include a free 4K video livestream from the International Space Station (ISS). NSF recently spoke with the company’s CEO, Charles Black, who hopes these views will be accessed by billions of people to inspire, educate, inform, and ultimately benefit humanity.

“If you look at Earth from space, you see things differently,” says Black, the founder of the London-based company. “I’m driven by this idea that there’s eight billion people on the planet, and everyone should see that reality of our existence, in the same way astronauts do if you were looking out of the window of the Space Station. Everyone should have that perspective.”

** Earth from space in 4K with music | 2 hours | January 2025 – SEN on Youtube

Experience nearly two hours of breathtaking footage of Earth from space, accompanied by music. All footage was captured by Sen’s 4K cameras aboard the International Space Station thoughout January 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