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List of space stations

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Past stations

These stations have re-entered the atmosphere and disintegrated.

The Soviet Union ran two programs simultaneously in the 1970s, both of which were called Salyut publicly. The Long Duration Orbital Station (DOS) program was intended for scientific research into spaceflight. The Almaz program was a secret military program that tested space reconnaissance. = Never crewed

NameProgram
EntityCrew
sizeLaunchedReenteredDays
in orbitDays
occu-
piedTotal crew
and visitorsNumber of
crewed visitsNumber of
robotic visitsMass
(* = at launch)Pressurized
volume
Salyut 1DOS-2Salyut 2Kosmos 557SkylabSalyut 3Salyut 4Salyut 5Salyut 6Salyut 7MirTiangong-1Tiangong-2
last=Harlandfirst=David Michaelurl=https://books.google.com/books?id=sBdUh8WqEfYC&pg=PA341title=The Story Of Space Station Mirseries=Springer Praxis Booksyear=2005isbn=978-0-387-73977-9page=351doi=10.1007/978-0-387-73977-9lccn=2004058915oclc=56531303ol=7444467Mpublisher=Praxis Publishing }}
Soviet Union MOM
author=Grujica S. Ivanovichtitle=Salyut - The First Space Station: Triumph and Tragedyurl=https://books.google.com/books?id=EbDGMiXvdG0Cyear=2008publisher=Springer Science & Business Mediaisbn=978-0-387-73973-1page=329bibcode=2008saly.book.....I}}—The USSR intended to crew these stations with two men, however they re-entered the atmosphere before the cosmonauts were launched.
Soviet Union RVSN
Almaz—
Soviet Union MOM
url=http://ston.jsc.nasa.gov/collections/TRS/_techrep/RP1357.pdftitle=Mir Hardware Heritagejournal=NASA Sti/Recon Technical Report Nvolume=95pages=23249author=D.S.F. Portreeyear=1995access-date=30 November 2010url-status=deadarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907191412/http://ston.jsc.nasa.gov/collections/TRS/_techrep/RP1357.pdfarchive-date=7 September 2009 }} (Full text available on Wikisource)—
Soviet Union MOM
title=Space Enterprise: Living and Working Offworld in the 21st Centurylast=Harrisfirst=Phillipyear=2008publisher=Springerisbn=978-0-387-77639-2page=582url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b9RlRq_DP0UC&pg=PA582}}
USA NASA
Almaz
Soviet Union MOM
last1=Dudley-Rowleyfirst1=Marilyntitle=Space 2006year=2006chapter=The Mir Crew Safety Record: Implications for Space Colonizationpage=2chapter-url=https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/6.2006-7489publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronauticsdoi=10.2514/6.2006-7489isbn=978-1-62410-049-9 }}
Soviet Union MOM
Almaz
Soviet Union MOM
author=Grujica S. Ivanovichtitle=Salyut - The First Space Station: Triumph and Tragedyurl=https://books.google.com/books?id=EbDGMiXvdG0Cyear=2008publisher=Springer Science & Business Mediaisbn=978-0-387-73973-1page=358bibcode=2008saly.book.....I}}
Soviet Union MOM
DOS
Soviet Union MOM
DOS
Tiangong329 September 20112 April 20182377226218,506 kg15 m3
China CMSA
Tiangong215 September 201619 July 20191037292118,506 kg15 m3
China CMSA

Prototypes

These stations are prototypes; they only exist as testing platforms and were never intended to be crewed. OPS 0855 was part of a cancelled Manned Orbiting Laboratory project by the United States, while the Genesis stations were launched privately. The Genesis stations were "retired" when their avionics systems stopped working after two and a half years, yet they remained in orbit as derelict spacecraft as their orbits gradually degraded over the next 18 years. Both Genesis stations re-entered the atmosphere and were destroyed two months apart in mid-2025.

NameEntityProgramLaunchedReenteredDays in orbitMassPressurized volumeOPS 0855Genesis IGenesis II
USA USAFMOL3 November 19669 January 19679680 kg11.3 m3
USA Bigelow Aerospace12 July 20062 July 20251360 kg11.5 m3
28 June 20072 September 202511.5 m3

Operational stations

As of , two stations are orbiting Earth with life support system in place and fully operational.

NameEntityCrew sizeLaunchedDays in orbitCorrect as ofDays
occupiedTotal crew
and visitorsCrewed
visitsRobotic
visitsMassPressurized
volumeHabitable
volumeInternational Space StationTiangong space station
url=http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/space-exploration/international-space-station-article/archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822062627/http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/space-exploration/international-space-station-article/url-status=deadarchive-date=August 22, 2011title=International Space Station, ISS Information, Space Station Facts, News, Photos National Geographicmagazine=National Geographicaccess-date=15 January 2012}}20 November 1998url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/facts-and-figures/title=Facts and Figuresdate=28 April 2016publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administrationaccess-date=15 August 2020}}url=http://www.russianspaceweb.com/iss_chronology_flights.htmltitle=A timeline of ISS missionspublisher=Russian Space Webaccess-date=27 September 2016}}94450000 kg1005 m3388 m3
3–629 April 202130108100000 kg340 m3122 m3

Planned and proposed

These space stations have been announced by their host entity and are currently in planning, development or production. The launch date listed here may change as more information becomes available.

NameEntityProgramCrew sizeLaunch datePlanned Pressurized VolumeRemarksHaven-1LIFE PathfinderStarMaxAxiom StationLunar GatewayOrbital ReefRussian Orbital Service Station
Bharatiya Antariksha StationStarlabHaven-2Lunar Orbital Station
Artificial Gravity StationJapanese Space Station Module (Mitsui)
USA VastPrivatelast=Etheringtonfirst=Darrelldate=10 May 2023title=Vast and SpaceX aim to put the first commercial space station in orbit in 2025url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/10/vast-and-spacex-aim-to-put-the-first-commercial-space-station-in-orbit-in-2025/url-status=livearchive-url=https://archive.today/20231001204949/https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/10/vast-and-spacex-aim-to-put-the-first-commercial-space-station-in-orbit-in-2025/archive-date=1 October 2023access-date=10 May 2023work=TechCrunch }}80 m3title=VAST Announces the Haven-1 and VAST-1 Missionsurl=https://www.vastspace.com/updates/vast-announces-the-haven-1-and-vast-1-human-spaceflight-mission-launched-by-spacex-on-a-dragon-spacecrafturl-status=livearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801134516/https://www.vastspace.com/updates/vast-announces-the-haven-1-and-vast-1-human-spaceflight-mission-launched-by-spacex-on-a-dragon-spacecraftarchive-date=1 August 2024access-date=10 May 2023publisher=Vast Space LLCplace=Long Beach, California }}
USA Sierra SpacePrivate2026285 m3last=Foustfirst=Jeffdate=28 June 2023title=Sierra Space describes long-term plans for Dream Chaser and inflatable modulesurl=https://spacenews.com/sierra-space-describes-long-term-plans-for-dream-chaser-and-inflatable-modules/url-status=livearchive-url=https://archive.today/20240823195824/https://spacenews.com/sierra-space-describes-long-term-plans-for-dream-chaser-and-inflatable-modules/archive-date=23 August 2024access-date=12 July 2023work=SpaceNews }}
USA GraviticsPrivate2026400 m3"The StarMax module provides up to 400 cubic meters of usable habitable volume - nearly half the volume of the International Space Station in one module."
USA Axiom Space
Privatelast=Foustfirst=Jeffurl=https://spacenews.com/axiom-space-revises-space-station-assembly-plans/title=Axiom Space revises space station assembly planswork=SpaceNewsdate=18 December 2024access-date=18 December 2024}}Private, free flying space station for commercial tourism and science activities.
USA NASA
[[File:ESA logo simple.svg20px]] ESA
Canada CSA
Japan JAXAArtemis2027≥125 m3 (4,400 cu ft)Intended to serve as a science platform and as a staging area for the lunar landings of NASA's Artemis program and follow-on human mission to Mars.
USA Blue Origin
USA Sierra SpacePrivate2027830 m3"Commercial station in LEO for research, industrial, international, and commercial customers."
Russia RoscosmosRussia's next generation space station.2027With Russia leaving the ISS programme sometime after 2024, Roscosmos announced this new space station in April 2021 as the replacement for that program.
India ISROIndian Human Spaceflight Programmetitle = ISRO Chairman announces details of Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-2 and Missions to Sun& Venus India to have its own space station, says Dr K Sivanurl = http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=190447date = 13 June 2019access-date = 18 June 2019publisher = Press Information Bureau}}~ 265 m3ISRO chairman K. Sivan announced in 2019 that India will not join the International Space Station, but will instead build a space station of its own. of 52 Tonne Mass It is intended to be completed 5–7 years after the conclusion of the Gaganyaan program.
USA NanoRacks
USA Voyager Space
European Union Airbus
CanadaMDA Space
JapanMitsubishi CorporationPrivate2028~450 m3"Commercial platform supporting a business designed to enable science, research, and manufacturing for customers around the world."
USA VastPrivate20281160 m3last=Foustfirst=Jeffdate=13 October 2024title=Vast releases design of Haven-2 commercial space stationurl=https://spacenews.com/vast-releases-design-of-haven-2-commercial-space-station/access-date=15 October 2024work=SpaceNews }}
Russia Roscosmosafter 2030Proposed in 2007 and not developed further.
United States VastPrivate20351400 m3
Japan JAXAMitsui & Co.TBATBDlast=Foustfirst=Jeffdate=9 July 2024title=Japanese venture seeks to develop commercial space station moduleurl=https://spacenews.com/japanese-venture-seeks-to-develop-commercial-space-station-module/url-status=livearchive-url=https://archive.today/20240713161739/https://spacenews.com/japanese-venture-seeks-to-develop-commercial-space-station-module/archive-date=13 July 2024work=SpaceNews }}

Concepts

NameEntityCrew SizePressurized VolumeRef
Station in a BoxUnited States of America AboveTBD
Pioneer StationTBD
Voyager StationTBD
VERA StationUnited States of America Gateway Spaceport LLC369,523 m3
Gateway Spaceport11,906,250 m3
Mars Base CampUnited States of America Lockheed MartinTBD

Cancelled projects

Most of these stations were canceled due to financial difficulties, or merged into other projects.

NameEntityCrewCancellationRemarksManned Orbiting Laboratory 1–7Skylab BOPS-4FreedomMir-2Columbus MTFFGalaxySundancerAlmaz commercialTiangong-3OPSEKB330Northrop Grumman CLD
USA USAF21969Boilerplate mission launched successfully, wider project cancelled due to excessive costs
USA NASA31976Constructed, but launch cancelled due to lack of funding. Now a museum piece.
USSR USSR31979Constructed, but Almaz program cancelled in favour of uncrewed recon satellites.
USA NASA14–161993Merged to form the basis of the International Space Station.
Soviet Union USSR
Russia Roscosmos2
[[File:ESA logo simple.svg20px]] ESA3
USA Bigelow AerospaceRobotic2007Canceled due to rising costs and ability to ground test key Galaxy subsystems
32011Was under construction, but cancelled in favour of developing B330.
UK Excalibur Almaz4+2016Soviet hardware was acquired, but never launched due to lack of funds.
China CNSA32017The goals for Tiangong-2 and 3 were merged, and were completed by a single station rather than two separate stations.
Russia Roscosmos2+2017Some modules such as Nauka were launched and attached to the ISS- but proposals to split these off as a separate station were cancelled, and they instead remain part of the ISS.
USA Bigelow Aerospace32020Test articles were constructed but not flight ready hardware; cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
United States of America Northrop Grummandate=2 December 2021title=Northrop Grumman Signs Agreement with NASA to Design Space Station for Low Earth Orbiturl=https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-signs-agreement-with-nasa-to-design-space-station-for-low-earth-orbiturl-status=livearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703133817/https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-signs-agreement-with-nasa-to-design-space-station-for-low-earth-orbitarchive-date=3 July 2024access-date=3 July 2024publisher=Northrop Grummanplace=Dulles, Va. }}2023Developed under the Commercial LEO Destinations program, cancelled by Northrop Grumman to partner with Nanoracks on Starlab.

Timeline

Size comparison

Notes

References

References

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