NASA: important steps crossed by Starlab which will replace the ISS

Despite Donald Trump’s budget cutsthe American space agency is continuing its projects. Starlab, a commercial space station supported by NASA, has taken five major development and design stages.

Starlab will replace the ISS and advance well

To put it simply: NASA seeks to go from operator from space stations to customer to facilitate the creation of commercial space stations.

Angela Hart, head of the NASA Basse Orbit Commercial Development Program, explains the importance of these advances: “While we are working on the future of the low terrestrial orbit, these milestones demonstrate Starlab’s commitment to build a commercial space station capable of supporting human life and advancing scientific research.”

The Starlab project first validated its preliminary design and security exams and is now entering its detailed material development design phase.

The next major step: a critical design examination programmed for the end of 2025. The aim is to assess the design before giving the green light to a construction.

Starlab “Exists” since a high -fidelity life -size model has been created. Reproduction will be installed in the Johnson space center in NASA in Houston to perform “Human tests in the loop”.

The American space agency will assess the training of crews, interior design and flight procedures. Starlab consists of a housing module and a service module that will be sent to orbit during a separate launch.

NASA opts for this new strategy after complicated assembly and spread over time of the international space station. As a reminder, the international space station has been in service for more than two decades and is approaching its end of life.

NASA is therefore looking for commercial stations to renew the aging orbital infrastructure. It is therefore urgent for the American space agency to set up alternatives. Spatial economy may change with this new business model.

The American space agency is no longer content to finance and use the infrastructure directly but is a service buyer. The objective? Reduce costs and speed up innovation.