🛸

Commercial Space Stations

Commercial space stations represent the next generation of human-occupied orbital platforms, designed to replace the ISS when it is deorbited around 2030. NASA is supporting multiple commercial providers through the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program. These stations will serve research, manufacturing, tourism, and media production, creating a self-sustaining low-Earth-orbit economy.

Key Metric

6 U.S. companies working with NASA to develop and certify commercial space stations (GAO-26-107805, 2026)

Checked 10 October 2026. Source

Companies in This Sector

5 tracked

Market Leaders

Axiom SpaceISS-attached modules planned to become a free-flying station, private astronaut missions (Ax-5 targeted 2027)

Orbital Reef (Blue Origin/Sierra Space)Mixed-use business park in LEO under a NASA Commercial LEO Destinations Space Act Agreement

Challengers

VastHaven-1 single-module station (launch slipped to no earlier than Q1 2027), with a proposed multi-module Haven-2

Starlab Space (Voyager Technologies)Station targeted for 2028 by a joint venture of Voyager, Airbus, Mitsubishi, MDA Space, Palantir and Space Applications Services, with Northrop Grumman as a strategic partner

Emerging

GraviticsSpace station modules (including a $125M module order from Axiom Space) and orbital carriers

Key Trends

→NASA Commercial LEO Destinations program funding commercial replacements for the ISS (Phase 2 awards still pending in 2026)
→ISS planned retirement in 2030 creating urgency for successor stations
→Research agencies and partners reserving station capacity early as anchor tenants