
A space habitat (or habitation module) in a basic sense is any
facility providing
shelter and fulfilling
habitational purposes in
outer space. It is not to be confused with an extended
space settlement, an arrangement of or infrastructure for multiple habitation facilities, in the sense of a space settlement.
Space station
A space station (or orbital station) is a spacecraft which remains orbital spaceflight, in orbit and human spaceflight, hosts humans for extended periods of time. It therefore is an artificial satellite featuring space habitat (facility), habitat ...
s or theoretical extraterrestrial stations, such as a
moonbase
A moonbase (or lunar base) is a human outpost on or below the surface of the Moon. More than a mere site of activity or temporary camp, moonbases are extraterrestrial bases, supporting uncrewed spaceflight, robotic or crewed spaceflight, human a ...
or
Mars habitat, include or are basic space habitats.
The
ISS was planned to get a now canceled dedicated
Habitation Module
The Habitation Module for the International Space Station was intended to be the Station's main living quarters designed with Galley (kitchen), galley, toilet, shower, sleep stations and medical facilities. About the size of a bus, the module wa ...
.
Space tourism
Space tourism is human space travel for recreational purposes. There are several different types of space tourism, including orbital, suborbital and lunar space tourism. Tourists are motivated by the possibility of viewing Earth from space, ...
is driving the development of dedicated habitats in space.
Axiom Station will be a
commercial space station with dedicated habitat modules for the purpose of tourism and commercial research.
In particular,
inflatable space habitats have been in development for decades. Based on the earlier NASA
TransHab design,
inflatable habitats have been developed and tested in orbit by the now inactive company
Bigelow Aerospace.
Definition
The
International Astronautical Federation
The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) is an international space advocacy organization based in Paris, and founded in 1951 as a non-governmental organization to establish a dialogue between scientists around the world and to lay t ...
has differentiated space habitats to
space settlements and
space infrastructure
Human presence in space (also anthropogenic presence in space or humanity in space) is the direct and mediated presence or telepresence of humans in outer space, and in an extended sense across space including astronomical body, astronomical ...
the following way:
Extraterrestrial surface habitat
The only extraterrestrial surface habitats that sofar have been erected were the temporary
Apollo Lunar Module
The Apollo Lunar Module (LM ), originally designated the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), was the lunar lander spacecraft that was flown between lunar orbit and the Moon's surface during the United States' Apollo program. It was the first crewed sp ...
s, such as ''
Eagle
Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
'' of
Tranquility Base
Tranquility Base () is the site on the Moon where, in July 1969, humans landed and walked on a celestial body other than Earth for the first time. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 crewmembers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Apollo Lunar Mo ...
, the very first.
See also
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Bioastronautics
Bioastronautics is a specialty area of biological and astronautical research which encompasses numerous aspects of biological, behavioral, and medical concern governing humans and other living organisms in outer space; and includes the design o ...
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Controlled ecological life-support system
Controlled (or closed) ecological life-support systems (acronym CELSS) are self-supporting life support systems for space stations and colonies typically through controlled closed ecological systems, such as the BioHome, BIOS-3, Biosphere 2, Ma ...
*
Closed ecological system
Closed ecological systems or contained ecological systems (CES) are ecosystems that do not rely on matter exchange with any part outside the system.
The term is most often used to describe small, man-made ecosystems. Such systems can potentially ...
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Earth systems engineering and management
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Human analog missions
Human analog missions are activities undertaken on Earth in various environments to simulate aspects of human missions to other worlds, including the Moon, asteroids, and Mars. These remote field tests are performed in locations that are identifie ...
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Human presence in space
Human presence in space (also anthropogenic presence in space or humanity in space) is the direct and mediated presence or telepresence of humans in outer space, and in an extended sense across space including astronomical bodies. Human pr ...
*
Life support system
A life-support system is the combination of equipment that allows survival in an environment or situation that would not support that life in its absence. It is generally applied to systems supporting human life in situations where the outside ...
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List of Mars analogs
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Mars analog habitat
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Mars habitability analogue environments on Earth
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Planetary surface construction
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Space architecture
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Space infrastructure
Human presence in space (also anthropogenic presence in space or humanity in space) is the direct and mediated presence or telepresence of humans in outer space, and in an extended sense across space including astronomical body, astronomical ...
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Terrestrial analogue sites
Terrestrial analogue sites (also called "space analogues") are places on Earth with assumed past or present geological, environmental or biological conditions of a celestial body such as the Moon or Mars. Analogue sites are used in the frame of spa ...
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Underground construction
Underground construction refers to the construction of underground tunnels, shafts, chambers, and passageways. It is also sometimes used to describe the portion of traditional construction that takes place below ground.
History
Neanderthals also ...
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Underwater habitat
Underwater habitats are underwater structures in which people can live for extended periods and carry out most of the Circadian rhythm, basic human functions of a 24-hour day, such as working, resting, eating, attending to personal hygiene, and ...
References
Space technology
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