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SciHab Space Station Concept Is a Cure to a Dying ISS, Might Even Save It for a Bit

As per current plans, come 2031 the International Space Station will be nothing more than a wreck at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. That’s because the beacon of human activity that has been floating above our planet since the first module was sent up there in 1998 will soon reach the end of its lifetime.
ESA looking for ways to stay in orbit post-ISS 19 photos
Photo: ESA
Orbital Reef space station to be up and running by the end of the decadeOrbital Reef space station to be up and running by the end of the decadeOrbital Reef space station to be up and running by the end of the decadeOrbital Reef space station to be up and running by the end of the decadeOrbital Reef space station to be up and running by the end of the decadeOrbital Reef space station to be up and running by the end of the decadeOrbital Reef space station to be up and running by the end of the decadeBlue Origin announces plans to build a private space station in low Earth orbitBlue Origin announces plans to build a private space station in low Earth orbitBlue Origin announces plans to build a private space station in low Earth orbitBlue Origin announces plans to build a private space station in low Earth orbitBlue Origin announces plans to build a private space station in low Earth orbitBlue Origin announces plans to build a private space station in low Earth orbitIllustration showing the Starlab commercial space stationIllustration showing the Starlab commercial space stationIllustration showing the Starlab commercial space stationIllustration showing the Starlab commercial space stationIllustration showing the Starlab commercial space station
Knowing that, the space industry is scrambling to find alternatives, and continue human presence in orbit. By space industry, we mostly mean the U.S., which has the largest concentration of space startups anywhere on the planet.

No less than three projects are being backed by NASA through official agreements and funding: the Blue Origin-Sierra Space Orbital Reef, the Lockheed Martin-Nanoracks Starlab, and an unnamed Northrop Grumman idea. Another company, Axiom, is also working on a space station concept.

As most of you already know, the ISS is an international venture, being operated by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada. With the exception of Russia, which is planning its own station, ROSS, the others will be pretty much left out if they do nothing.

The European Space agency doesn’t like that, and would like to be a continued presence in low-Earth orbit even after the ISS is gone. To that end, it’s thinking of something called SciHab, which stands for Science and Habitation.

Orbital Reef space station to be up and running by the end of the decade
Photo: Blue Origin
SciHab, first proposed as part of the agency’s Terrae Novae 2030+ strategy roadmap, presented at the end of last year, is envisioned as a station that could piggyback on the upcoming American ones, or even on the ISS itself.

Like any other station before it, it will comprise a “next generation advanced laboratory & habitation module,” but possibly even other ones. The lab part should accommodate experiment hardware of various sizes and purposes, including the provision of resources, with capabilities at least on par with Columbus, ESA’s single largest contribution to the ISS. Launched in 2008, Columbus has an outside diameter of 4.5 meters (almost 15 feet), and can support a crew of three.

The habitation module is the one that will have the environmental control and life support systems, communications, sleep stations, galley, toilet, exercise devices, and stowage.

The thing is envisioned as having an open architecture, meaning hardware made by different players in the industry could easily be accommodated, and, more importantly, modules could be added later on depending on needs.

Illustration showing the Starlab commercial space station
Photo: Nanoracks
ESA thinks of this as a very important station. It could complement the upcoming Gateway NASA is planning to float in orbit around the Moon, and could even support the lunar surface colony we’re bound to set up in the mid-term future.

Moreover, there are ideas being thrown around about SciHab having in-space manufacturing capabilities, including on-orbit assembly, and even transit technologies meant to help people head for Mars.

There are four ways of giving birth to this station, envisioned by the people behind the SciHab idea, most of which depend or are inspired by what others are doing. First, it could be implemented as temporary appendix of the ISS, kind of like what Axiom is doing, building its station on ISS’ forward docking port and planning to float free of it sometime in the future.

Then, it could be created in cooperation with Orbital Reef or Starlab, “potentially with an added contribution of a resource module as well as functions like attitude and orbit control.” Third, it could even be built as part of the ISS, helping it stay afloat past the 2031 deadline.

Blue Origin announces plans to build a private space station in low Earth orbit
Photo: Blue Origin via Youtube
The way that could truly make SciHab a standalone, ESA-made space station involves building it from the ground up, including with help from international partners, and operating it just like the ISS.

The Europeans are planning to settle on one of the four ways in time for SciHab to be built while the ISS is still in orbit, so that “a gap in LEO services is avoided.”

SciHab was at Request for Information status, open to “private sector entities based in ESA Member States,” until January 28, 2022, with a deadline for submitting the executive summary March 31. At the time of writing, there is no info available on how many companies expressed interest.
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Editor's note: Gallery shows various American space station ideas.

 Download: ESA SciHab concept (PDF)

About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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