/sci/ - Science & Math

SpaceX Space Station

https://chrisprophet.substack.com/p/spacex-space-station
>In 2021 SpaceX made a bid for a Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) contract, a program set up by NASA to support private space station development. Unfortunately their bid wasn’t accepted but they didn’t give up, and have since landed a Space Act Agreement (SAA) to collaborate with NASA on a Starship based space station.
> According to Mars Society founder Robert Zubrin, ”orbital research labs” are the next big space app, after satellite communications. All manner of new products can be researched and manufactured in microgravity, such as innovative drugs, virtually lossless fiber cables, even complete human organs ready for transplant. Realistically we have barely begun to tap the possibilities, with many more applications likely to emerge when a commercial microgravity facility becomes available.
> Due to a combination of factors i.e: NASA’s urgent demand for a commercial space station, the inability to fund this project by primary contractors, and salience of Starship development, it seems increasingly likely SpaceX will diversify into the space station business. Arguably NASA has already begun to move in this direction following their Space Act Agreement to build a Starship Station supported by Dragon transport and Starlink communications. Currently the company has more pressing priorities for Starship development, e.g. producing a propellant tanker, orbital propellant depot and Human Landing System version for the Artemis program, not to mention their own cargo variant for deploying Starlink satellites.