After the ISS: the Transition Year by Year
How will microgravity research and manufacturing move from the ISS to commercial platforms between 2026 and 2032?
Chapter summary
in overlapping steps, with a risk of a gap.
Key takeaways
- 1
Capsules are already flying and will grow first.
- 2
Haven-1, a short-visit demonstrator, is targeted for no earlier than the first quarter of 2027; NASA's commercial destination awards are expected in spring 2027; Axiom's first module is planned for early 2028; the ISS is due to retire at the end of 2030 and Japan's Kibo with it.
- 3
Setcoin's base case has research facilities migrating to two commercial stations by 2030–2032, automated processes moving to capsules from now, and a thin period for crew-tended biology around 2030–2031 if stations slip.
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Commercial Stations as Manufacturing Platforms
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