In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Settlement

Space habitat reports – July.1.2025

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

** Ax-4 joins the International Space Station | European Space Agency, ESA

On 26 June 2025 ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and his crewmates arrived to the International Space Station on the Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4).

The Polish project astronaut is the second of a new generation of European astronauts to fly on a commercial human spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space.

Sponsored by the Polish government and supported by ESA, the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MRiT), and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), the mission will include an ambitious technological and scientific programme with several experiments led by ESA and proposed by the Polish space industry.

Follow Sławosz’s journey to space on the Ignis mission website.

Ignis website: https://www.esa.int/Science_Explorati…

See also Fourth Axiom Space private astronaut mission launched to ISS | SpaceNews – June.25.2025

** JAXA Astronaut Discusses Life Aboard Space Station Students – Wednesday, June 25, 2025 | NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 73 commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) discussed living and working in space during an in-flight education interview June 25 with Japanese students. Onishi is in the midst of a long duration science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions.

** Astronaut Discusses Life In Space With U.S. Air Force Academy Association – Tuesday, June 17, 2025 | NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 73 flight engineer Nichole Ayers of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview June 17 with the U.S. Air Force, Academy Association of Graduates for its podcast. Ayers, a Major in the Air Force 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.

** A visual demo of the length of the ISS:

** ISS crewmember Don Pettit reenacts a scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey:

=== Commercial space habitats

** Blue Origin

— Blue expanding cooperation with Europe on projects such as the Orbital Reef space station:

** Sierra Space

— Sierra is developing techniques for growing vegetables on a space habitat:

** Starlab – Voyager Technologies

— Starlab can host semiconductor research and production:

— Starlab capabilities presented to French industry:

** VAST

— Introducing Vast: The Next Giant Leap | VAST on Youtube

Now is the time to meet NASA’s call to transition its low-Earth orbit presence from the International Space Station (ISS) to a lower-cost commercial option. Vast is ready to deliver for America and our international partners. We will be delivering the world’s first, most affordable, commercial space station in 2026: Haven-1.

Haven-1 will be Vast’s first step toward a long-term commercial presence in orbit.

Purpose-built for scientific research, in-space manufacturing, and human habitation, Haven-1 will ensure humanity’s presence in low-Earth orbit. Backed by a world-class team and built with speed, safety, and efficiency at its core, this marks the next era in human space exploration—not just reaching orbit, but staying there.

Learn more about how we are making it happen.

— Haven-1: The Mission Ahead | VAST on Youtube

he era of commercial space stations begins with Haven-1, launching next year. Whether you’re a sovereign nation, space agency, scientist, company, or private astronaut—the time is now. Join our mission and help pioneer the next giant leap in space exploration.

** Haven-1 Virtual Reality – Available Now for Download | VAST on Youtube

Experience Haven-1, the world’s first commercial space station, in virtual reality (VR): www.vastspace.com/haven-1-vr

Join Andrew Feustel, former NASA Acting Chief Astronaut and Lead Astronaut at Vast, as he narrates the immersive journey through the next-generation space-station, launching in May 2026.

Haven-1 VR is officially available for download from Meta, the App Store, and Steam.

=== Chinese space habitats

** Doing experiments and organizing logistics, Shenzhou 20 crews daily work at Tiangong Space Station | CNSA Watcher – Archives

#SummerSolstice# has arrived, pursue dreams and go!】Experimental schedule full, material organized diligently… What were the new developments in the ‘Space Home’ last week? Let’s follow the daily work of the Shen 20 crew together! #TiangongTVSeason9# Video of manned spaceflight on Weibo

** Crew of Shenzhou-20 spacecraft prepares for second spacewalk from Tiangong space station | CNSA Watcher – Archives

The crew of Shenzhou-20 spacecraft is ready for their second extravehicular activity. The space station is running smoothly and the astronauts have been working in orbit for over two months. They are in good physical and mental condition, fully prepared for the upcoming EVA. (Source: China Manned Space Engineering Office) Sky and space, pursuing dreams.

** Shenzhou-20 astronauts complete second spacewalk | SciNews

According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the second extravehicular activity (EVA) of the Shenzhou-20 (神舟二十) mission was completed on 26 June 2025, at 13:29 UTC (21:29 China Standard Time). During the ~6.5 hours spacewalk, astronauts Chen Dong (陈冬, commander) and Chen Zhong Rui (陈中瑞) completed the installation of a debris protection device, the inspection and maintenance of external equipment, as well as installation of new equipment designed to improve the efficiency of astronauts during EVAs. Astronaut Wang Jie (王杰) assisted them from inside the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱) by operating the robotic arm of the China Space Station (中国空间站).  Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)

=== Lunar habitation

** LUNAR GOLD RUSH – There’s Treasure in Those Poles! |  National Space Society on Youtube

The Moon represent a vast supply of resources critical to space development, particularly the lunar poles. How do we balance competing interests of development and science, and competing interests of various nations and groups?

=== Space habitat technologies, designs, etc

** Training for the Moon and Beyond |  NASA Johnson

The Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team (JETT), led out of Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, is a specialized group that develops, integrates, and executes tests and analog missions that enable evaluations of lunar surface systems and operations for Artemis missions.
This field test is the fifth in the series and is the highest fidelity Artemis moonwalk mission simulation to date. The test consists of two integrated teams working together as they practice end-to-end lunar operations with a team of astronauts, NASA engineers, and field experts in the Arizona desert conducting the simulated moonwalks, and a team of flight controllers and scientists at NASA Johnson monitoring and guiding their activities. The test evaluates gaps and challenges associated with lunar South Pole operations, including data collection and communications between the flight control team and science team in Houston for rapid decision-making protocols. The week-long test was conducted in the San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona in May of 2024.

** Surviving Space: Artificial Gravity Will Be Critical To Long Term Space Travel & Settlement |  National Space Society on Youtube

Long-term survival in space won’t just be about food, air, and shielding—it’s about gravity. In this episode, we’ll explore why artificial gravity may be essential for keeping humans healthy on starships and space stations, and how we might create it using rotation, magnetism, or future technologies.

** Cities of the Future – Megacities, Arcologies, and Floating Utopias |  Isaac Arthur on Youtube

In tomorrow’s world, cities may rise into the clouds, dive beneath oceans, or float among the stars—join us as we journey through these radical urban frontiers.

…

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:16 The Growth of Cities
4:05 Urban Challenges & Opportunities
6:09 Vertical Cities & Arcologies
21:15 Space Scrapers & Space Towers
24:19 Subterranean Cities
26:26 Artificial Island Cities
28:05 Underwater Cities
29:29 Cities in the Sky
30:59 Space Habitats
33:56 Cities on Other Worlds

** Worldhouses & Paraterraforming: Building Planets, One Dome at a Time |  Isaac Arthur on Youtube

Why wait centuries to terraform Mars when you could build a habitable world overnight? In this episode, we explore the concept of Worldhouses—planet-spanning domes that let us colonize hostile worlds by enclosing them beneath engineered skies, one dome at a time.

…

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:47 The Worldhouse Concept
7:04 How Would a Worldhouse Be Built?
15:19 The Quilt Approach: Expanding a Worldhouse Over Time
20:22 Antimatter Propulsion
21:42 Partial Enclosures: Mega-Domes Over Key Regions
23:56 Enclosing Asteroids: The Micro-Worldhouse
28:07 Earth as a Worldhouse: Could We Enclose Our Own Planet?
30:43 The Future of Worldhouses

** The Von Braun Wheel: A Space Station Dream and the Legacy It Inspired | National Space Society on Youtube

Long before the International Space Station, Wernher von Braun imagined something bolder: a massive, rotating space habitat that used motion to simulate gravity—a wheel in the sky. In this episode, we explore the origins and design of the Von Braun Wheel, its cultural legacy, and how this mid-20th-century vision still shapes the dreams of space settlement today.

We’ll trace its journey from Cold War concept to science fiction icon, revisit its influence on shows like 2001: A Space Odyssey, and examine the very real possibility of building such a station with today’s technology. We’ll also reflect on von Braun’s enduring impact—culminating in the National Space Society’s von Braun Award, presented this year to Jared Isaacman and the Polaris Dawn team.

From dreams to docking hubs, from Disney collaborations to modern-day launch systems, the Von Braun Wheel remains a symbol of humanity’s path to the stars. Join us as we honor its legacy—and explore how we might finally bring it to life.

️ Learn more about the International Space Development Conference: https://isdc.nss.org
Become a part of the future: https://space.nss.org

** How to Build in Space — for Life on Earth | Ariel Ekblaw | TED

Is space the “final frontier” — or the perfect place to revolutionize life on Earth? Space architect Ariel Ekblaw reveals how self-assembling structures could build orbiting real estate in space dedicated to solving humanity’s greatest dilemmas on Earth, leading to scientific and medical breakthroughs only possible in zero gravity. (Recorded at TED2025 on April 11, 2025)

** The Orbital Commons: Building the Highways and Habitats Around Earth | National Space Society on Youtube

Before humanity can spread across the stars, we must first build the foundation—just above our heads. In this episode, we explore the concept of the orbital commons: the shared space around Earth that must become our first true space ecosystem. From fuel depots and tugcraft to habitats, shipyards, and traffic control, the infrastructure of near-Earth space is the key to unlocking a sustainable spacefaring future.

We’ll examine what it takes to turn Earth orbit from a fragile staging area into a thriving zone of commerce, habitation, and exploration. And we’ll look at the legal, logistical, and technological tools we’ll need to protect and expand this new frontier.

The road to Mars and beyond begins here—with the highways, hubs, and habitats of cislunar space.

Become a part of the future: https://space.nss.org

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

=== Earth views from ISS

** Super high-speed camera on ISS captures high-altitude electrical storms:

** Transitions from earth to aurora to space:

** 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