Proposed Space Station Could Be Deployed in a Single Launch

Florida startup Max Space announced its 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 needed to build the orbital lab.

Thunderbird is a single-module space station that is designed to expand to a volume of 12,360 cubic feet (350 cubic meters) once in orbit. Instead of launching multiple missions to assemble 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 small prototype of the space station, called Mission Evolution, is set to launch on board a SpaceX ride-share mission in early 2027, SpaceNews reported. The mission will test the space station’s orbital debris protection system, as well as its environmental control and life support system.

One and done

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

The space agency is in search of commercial alternatives to the International Space Station, which is due to retire by 2030. Instead of having fixed-price contracts for companies, NASA is now offering smaller, more affordable, multiple-funded Space Act Agreements for the development and initial demonstration of commercial space stations. “It was pretty clear that was an opportunity for us to put a proposal forward to show how these modules can really be used for human habitation,†Saleem Miyan, Max Space’s chief executive, told SpaceNews.

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

Thunderbird is designed to host four astronauts at all times, with a morphic interior structure that can be reconfigured by the crew to support different activities on board the space station. The commercial space station can be used for research, as well as orbital manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and other materials.

Max Space is planning to launch its space station to orbit as early as 2029. The company also aims to configure Thunderbird for use as a habitat for astronauts around the Moon and Mars.