All articles tagged with #space stations
Hello Games' Cosmos update finally lets players claim space stations and build bases in space—anywhere from asteroids to the void—for a cost of 1 billion units and a reputation level of 40, turning space into a new strategic base-building playground and inviting players to secure prime locations before others do.
Hello Games releases the Cosmos update—the largest overhaul No Man's Sky has seen in 10 years—adding features like fully customizable space stations, new space outposts for alien trade, asteroid belts, Expeditions, a new star-system map, and galactic alliances with leaderboards; the free update marks the game's 10th anniversary and is available on all platforms.
Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky Cosmos update overhauls space, letting players own and decorate space stations, build free-floating orbital bases, form alliances to run networked empires, discover space hulks and new trade outposts, and even reach the sun via a perilous voyage. The release also adds an alliance system and a limited-time expedition “Our Journey Continues,” with patch notes on Hello Games’ site and broad platform support across PC, consoles, Switch, VR, and Game Pass.
As of September 2026, Earth orbit hosts two continuously crewed stations—the ISS and China's Tiangong. If the ISS retires around 2030 before commercial replacements are ready, Tiangong could become the only permanently inhabited outpost in orbit. NASA aims to preserve continuity through overlapping crew rotations and a transition to commercial stations, with milestones like hardware testing, certification and coordinated rotations; a legislative extension to 2032 has been proposed, but no firm date is guaranteed. The final outcome will depend on hardware readiness, funding and policy decisions, and commercial plans could allow sustained but non-continuous occupancy rather than a full handover.
The article surveys the long-running fascination with rotating, gravity-generating space stations—from early ideas by Oberth and Noordung to mid‑century experiments (Convair’s MARS, TASSEL/MTSS, Olympus, MOL) and the Soviet‑era Salyut/Almaz programs—progressing through docking milestones and into the modular, non‑rotating habitats of Skylab and Mir. Despite serious engineering interest in artificial gravity, the cost and practicality kept wheels from becoming reality, so rotating stations remained theoretical while non‑rotating, modular stations became the practical path forward. The piece closes by echoing the irony that the “wheel” concept has persisted as history’s curiosity rather than a future reality.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said on the Lex Fridman Podcast that he would love to see a trillion humans living in the solar system, with giant rotating space stations capable of hosting cities, farms, and industry. He argues more people could drive breakthroughs—“1,000 Mozarts and 1,000 Einsteins”—and emphasizes moving beyond planetary surfaces while Earth remains a protected base. The plan centers on reducing the cost of getting materials into space (via Blue Origin and related efforts) to enable this long‑term expansion, though no timeline is provided.
As the International Space Station nears retirement around 2030, global space agencies and commercial players are pursuing a crowded array of successors: NASA/ESA/CSA/JAXA’s Lunar Gateway around the Moon, China’s planned Tiangong expansion, Russia’s shift to reusing ISS modules as the Russian Orbital Station, and India’s Bharatiya Antariksh Station, with timelines extending to 2035 and beyond. The ISS’s aging hardware and health concerns spur these plans, while a growing slate of science, exploration, and commercial missions edge orbital activity closer to the Moon and beyond. A Part II on commercial concepts is promised.
Vast has hired former NASA astronaut Megan McArthur as an astronaut adviser to support Haven-1’s development, joining a cadre of ex-astronauts guiding the project. Haven-1 has begun integration in Long Beach with systems and avionics work, interior outfitting, and exterior shielding. The launch has shifted from mid-2026 to the first quarter of 2027, as the company emphasizes safety and maturation of its design, manufacturing, testing, and operations for future stations.
NASA plans to deorbit the International Space Station by 2030, ending a 25-year streak of continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit, and will transition to commercial space stations developed by private companies, while continuing space research and international collaboration.
NASA plans to deorbit the ISS in 2030 without a direct replacement, but is fostering private sector involvement through programs like Axiom Space, which aims to build a new commercial space station, potentially ensuring continued human presence in low Earth orbit beyond the ISS's retirement.
The article explores ambitious and innovative concepts for Project Gemini that were considered but never realized, including space station supply craft, lunar landing, and rescue missions, offering a fascinating glimpse into an alternate path of space exploration history.
NASA is overhauling its plans to replace the ISS with a privately-operated station, lowering capability requirements and shifting to a less expensive, more flexible approach due to budget constraints, aiming for a more achievable timeline and increased commercial partnerships.
The article compares the International Space Station and China's Tiangong Space Station, highlighting their features, purpose, and the impressive ability of Maxar Technologies' satellites to capture detailed images of these fast-moving structures from space.
NASA has awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to safely deorbit the International Space Station by 2030. SpaceX is also involved in launching new space stations for various companies, ensuring continued low-Earth-orbit research. While SpaceX is not publicly traded, its involvement boosts the value of other companies like Airbus, which is part of the Starlab team.
The International Space Station (ISS), a symbol of international cooperation and human exploration, will be decommissioned by 2030. Future space stations will be privately owned, with NASA as a key customer. This shift marks the end of an era of government-led space collaboration, raising concerns about the loss of continuous human presence in space and the unique international partnerships the ISS fostered.