What is a Space Station & How Many Space Stations are there?

Observing the sun, studying our planet Earth’s resources, understanding its environment, researching how the human body reacts in the state of weightlessness in space – all these things became possible for humans with the invention of the space station.

What is a space station? What are its purposes? Let’s delve into a simple explanation.

A Space Station is a spacecraft that orbits around the Earth and allows astronauts to perform space research and experiments while living in it for a long duration.

A space station is made human habitable by equipping it with pressurized enclosure, power, necessary supplies, and environmental systems. For communicating with mission controllers on the Earth, they use geostationary relay satellites and for navigating, satellite-based positioning systems are employed.

The largest space station is the International Space Station (ISS), designed between 1984 and 1993. It is a multi-nation construction project by Europe, the United States, Russia, Canada, and Japan. It has hosted more than 250 astronauts and cosmonauts since 1998.

Between 1952 and 1954, Wernher von Braun, a rocket pioneer, envisioned a large wheel-shaped space station with artificial gravity, as described in Collier’s magazine. This concept influenced ideas about space exploration until the late 1960s.

However, Cold War tensions shifted focus to landing on the Moon, delaying space station plans. NASA considered various station designs, including repurposing rocket stages and military reconnaissance platforms.

In 1969, the Soviet Union launched Salyut 1, the first space station shaped like a cylinder with a docking system for Soyuz ferries. It was designed to support two three-man crews for two months.

Tragically, during Soyuz 11's return, a valve failure caused air loss, killing the three cosmonauts. This prompted redesigns to include pressure suits for future missions.

This list of space stations will provide insight into which countries have space stations and which are currently active in space.

The space station is generally classified into two types based on the architecture: Monolithic and Modular.

• Monolithic Space Station: Monolithic space stations are constructed and launched in a single-piece vehicle that contains necessary equipment and supplies and does not carry a crew. The crew of astronauts and cosmonauts are sent through separate spacecraft. Salyut by the Soviet Union and America’s Skylab are two examples of monolithic space stations.

• Modular Space Station: Modular space stations are constructed in two or more modules that are sent into space separately and then docked in orbit. Designed to sustain for a longer lifetime, this type of space station gets the necessary supplies through logistical support craft. Mir, the Soviet space station, is an example of this type. It took 10 years, from 1986 to 1996, to complete its assembly in orbit.

Small space stations are sent into space already assembled, but bigger ones are sent in pieces and assembled while in orbit. Operating a space station needs a transportation system to carry crews and equipment and to restock supplies like propellant, air, water, and food.

To use the carrier vehicle's space efficiently, a space station is launched without a crew, and the crew, along with extra equipment, follow in separate vehicles.

Space stations get their electrical power from large solar panels and storage batteries. They also use geostationary relay satellites to stay in constant communication with ground controllers and satellite-based positioning systems for navigation.

Let’s discover the major facts and functions of space stations.

• Home to Astronauts: A space station primarily serves as a home to the astronauts and cosmonauts for efficiently carrying out their research work from space for an extended period of time.
• Advancements in Medicine: By studying micro and hypergravity effects on humans, the space station facilitates research to enhance our understanding of the human body. As a result, it leads to potential advancements in medicine and healthcare.
• Protein Crystal Growth: The space station enables scientists to grow protein crystals in a unique environment, contributing to the development of better treatments for diseases that currently lack cures.
• Innovative Space Research: The laboratories on the space station support innovative space research projects, fostering a deeper understanding of Earth's environment and the broader universe.
• Gateway to Human Space Exploration: The space station provides a platform to study the long-term effects of weightlessness or microgravity, essential for preparing astronauts for future missions.

Discover the four future space stations.

• ISS and AXIOM: The International Space Station (ISS) is a multinational collaboration that has been continuously occupied since 2000. Axiom Space is a US company that plans to attach a commercial module to the ISS by 2024 and eventually detach it to form a separate space station.
• Orbital Reef: A proposed commercial space station by Blue Origin and Sierra Space, which aims to offer a mixed-use orbital destination for research, manufacturing, tourism, and entertainment. It is expected to be operational by the end of the decade, the 2020s.
• Starlab: A proposed commercial space station by NanoRacks, Voyager Space, and Lockheed Martin, which will provide a low-cost and scalable platform for scientific and commercial activities in low Earth orbit. It is expected to launch in 2027.
• Lunar Gateway: A planned outpost that will orbit the Moon and support human and robotic exploration of the lunar surface and deep space. It is a partnership between NASA, ESA, JAXA, and CSA.