Space Stations: It’s Just…a Lot.

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So, everybody’s building a space station now? It’s just…a lot. The ISS is, apparently, nearing its expiration date – like a carton of milk you keep finding in the back of the fridge. And suddenly, everyone thinks they can just whip up a replacement. It’s presumptuous, frankly.

You’ve got the big players, Orbital Reef, backed by Bezos, which is fine, whatever. More money than they know what to do with. Then there’s Starlab, which is apparently the “biggest, best-funded” team. Like that actually means something. It just means more meetings. More committees. And you know there’s some intern somewhere compiling a PowerPoint presentation about “synergy.” It’s enough to make you want to just stay home.

And the list of companies involved? Don’t even get me started. Voyager Technologies, Hilton Worldwide… Hilton? In space? What are they going to do, offer frequent flyer miles for orbital stays? It’s…it’s just illogical. And then you have Palantir. Palantir. Of course. Because everything needs to be monitored, tracked, and analyzed. It’s exhausting.

But here’s the thing. Everyone’s talking about these behemoths, these “teams,” but there are these other companies…Axiom Space, actually sending people up there to train. That’s…respectable. At least they’re doing something. And now, Vast. Vast is sending a team up to the ISS. For the first time. Like it’s a surprise party. “Oh, look at us, we’re going to space!” As if it’s a new concept.

ISS or Bust (Seriously, What’s the Rush?)

They’re saying this mission, sometime in 2027, is “critical” for the “transition to commercial space stations.” Critical? It’s a training exercise! It’s like saying your dry cleaning is “critical” to maintaining a civilized society. It’s an overstatement. A gross overstatement. And the whole thing hinges on this Haven-2 thing. Another module. Another promise. Another potential disappointment.

But nobody else is doing this “training mission” thing, apparently. Which is…odd. You’d think someone would have thought of it before. And then Vast launched this “Haven Demo” satellite. Okay, fine. They flew a spacecraft. But they’re acting like they’ve discovered fire. “The only commercial space station company…” It’s just…marketing. It’s all marketing.

They need to launch Haven-1 in 2027, then more modules by 2030. It’s a tight schedule. And the ISS is scheduled to…kerplunk into the ocean in 2031. Like a discarded toy. The timing is…convenient. Too convenient. It’s like everyone agreed on a deadline just to create artificial urgency.

The Upshot (If You Can Call It That)

So, the race is “wide open.” Great. More competition. More stress. If you want to “own a piece of the winner,” you can invest in the Orbital Reef or Starlab teams. That’s your choice. I’m just saying, maybe it’s all a bit much. Maybe we should just leave space alone for a while. Let it breathe.

Invest accordingly. Or don’t. It’s your money. Just don’t come crying to me when it all goes sideways. Because I saw this coming. I always see this coming.

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2026-02-21 14:12