A space station is a crewed or crew-tended spacecraft designed for extended habitation in orbit. The International Space Station (ISS) has been continuously occupied since 2000, serving as a microgravity research laboratory, technology testbed, and international cooperation platform. With the ISS scheduled for deorbit around 2030, NASA is funding commercial replacements through the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program.
Multiple companies are developing next-generation stations: Vast is building Haven-1 (the first planned single-module commercial station), Axiom Space is constructing modules to attach to the ISS before separating into a free-flying station, and Blue Origin is developing Orbital Reef. These commercial stations aim to serve not only government research but also in-space manufacturing, pharmaceutical development, media production, and private astronaut missions.