(Photo : Wikimedia Commons/Scott Kelly)
The space is already crowded, so a start-up space company is planning a way to solve this problem. Max Space intends to launch expandable habitats into the Earth's orbit.
Expandable Habitats in Space
Max Space wants to solve the lack of space rooms by launching "stadium-sized" habitats. The goal is to maximize the space's living area by reducing the cargo's bulk and volume sent into orbit. This is an ambitious procedure.
"The problem with space today is, there isn't enough habitable space in space," said co-founder Aaron Kemmer in a statement. "Unless we make usable space in space a lot less expensive and much larger, humanity's future in space will remain limited."
The one-year-old company's "scalable habitat" ideas span from 20 cubic meters to an incredible 1,000, or 700, and 35,300 cubic feet, respectively. If the company's projected launches in 2027 and 2030 pass, these designs will dwarf existing habitat concepts.
The company claims that these dwellings may be placed on the Moon or possibly Mars, in addition to floating in the microgravity of orbit.
Kemmer hopes to establish a metropolis on the Moon before he passes away. Therefore, he views this as the habitat and infrastructure that will be located inside the lava tubes buried beneath the [lunar] surface.
The startup's leadership can at least benefit from some prior expertise. To investigate off-Earth manufacturing, Kemmer co-founded Redwire Space, formerly known as Made in Space. The business has transported multiple 3D printers to the International Space Station.
One of the main benefits of making habitats inflatable is that they may be much smaller and fit inside a rocket fairing.
It's not exactly a novel notion. Three inflatable space housing modules are now in orbit around the Earth. Bigelow Aerospace, a pioneer in the concept, created and constructed them all.
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Earth's Orbit Is Already Crowded
In September 2023, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement about its plans to reduce the clutter in Earth's already crowded orbit. The government agency wanted to restrict the formation of new orbital debris to support a sustainable space environment and lessen the chance of spacecraft and satellite collisions.
Under the proposed rules, commercial launch companies would have five options for eliminating their upper stage, the part of the rocket that ejects the payload.
- Conduct a controlled reentry;
- Move the upper stage to a less congested storage or graveyard orbit;
- Send the upper stage on an Earth-escape orbit;
- Retrieve the upper stage (called active debris removal) within five years or
- Perform an uncontrolled atmospheric disposal.
NASA also awarded TransAstara, a startup in space logistics, $850,000 for its "capture bags" that inflate once they enter space to collect space junk. Japanese space company Astroscale is also finding ways to clean up the low Earth orbit. It intends to capture and deorbit retired satellites using its End of Life Services by Astroscale-Multiple (ELSA-M) spacecraft.
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