From 19th-Century Brick Satellites to Von Braun’s Rotating Wheels: The Evolution of Space Station Concepts
The concept of space stations predates actual spaceflight, originating in 1869 with Edward Everett Hale’s fictional 'Brick Moon.' Early 20th-century pioneers like Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and Hermann Noordung developed technical designs for orbital habitats, with Noordung’s 1929 rotating 'Wohnrad' influencing later popular depictions. Wernher von Braun popularized the rotating wheel station in the 1950s, though practical engineering challenges regarding artificial gravity and Coriolis effects have prevented such designs from being realized in current stations.