Airbus Teases Space Station Of The Future Promising Comfier, Long-Term Stays
Image © Airbus 2023
Looking at how space exploration is advancing, it’s likely that astronauts will be traveling outbound more frequently—and spending even more time there. With those future adventurers in mind, Airbus has conceptualized a space station design for their long-term comfort.
Called ‘LOOP’, the habitat is described by the aerospace firm as a “multi-purpose orbital module” with customizable, spacious decks across three stories.
A ‘Tunnel’ in the middle, surrounded by a greenhouse, connects all three levels.
In its default design, the structure will hold three key spaces: the habitation deck, the science deck, and the centrifuge deck.
The habitation deck will be where the crew quarters, and even an exercise bay, are.
Next up, the science deck will support interstellar experimentation with storage areas for payloads, gloves, and more.
A centrifuge deck will be configured with artificial gravity to reduce the toll antigravity has on the human body. As pointed out by Space.com, astronauts’ bodies will eventually deteriorate as a result of prolonged exposure to weightlessness.
Measuring 26 feet in diameter, the cylindrical habitat can comfortably accommodate four astronauts, and up to eight if they’ll be putting up at the station temporarily.
Noting that the International Space Station (ISS) is two-decade-old technology, and only meant to last 15 years, Airbus has envisioned LOOP to be compatible with the rise of newer, superheavy launchers “that can launch an entire module in one piece,” like SpaceX’s Starship. The module can be deployed and made operational in a single launch, and astronauts can live in it immediately.
Airbus continues that LOOP “fully exploits the potential of tomorrow’s technologies in order to best support humanity’s future in space: in low-Earth or lunar orbit, or on long-term missions to Mars.”
As the ISS becomes obsolete in 2031, innovators now have the opportunity to reinvent space stations to better serve astronauts during their arduous missions.
[via Space.com and Aerotime Hub, images © Airbus 2023]
