For decades, building a space station meant launching dozens of modules, assembling them piece by piece in orbit, and accepting strict limits on interior space. That model may soon face serious competition. A new private space station concept proposes achieving enormous living volume from a single launch, thanks to an inflatable design that expands dramatically once in orbit.
The concept comes from Max Space, a US startup that has unveiled plans for Thunderbird Station, an expandable orbital habitat designed to deploy from a single rocket launch and then inflate to full size in space. According to the company, the station would offer roughly 12,300 cubic feet of internal volume, about one third of the pressurized space aboard the International Space Station, despite launching as a compact capsule.
The entire station is designed to fit inside a single Falcon 9 rocket operated by SpaceX. Once in low Earth orbit, the structure would expand outward, creating a large pressurized environment for astronauts, researchers, or private users. Max Space is targeting a first launch around 2029, with a smaller prototype potentially flying as early as 2027 via a rideshare mission.
The timing is significant. The International Space Station is expected to be retired in the early 2030s, raising concerns about how astronauts will continue conducting long term research in orbit. NASA has already shifted strategy, encouraging private companies to develop commercial successors under its Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations program. Max Space has since submitted proposals positioning Thunderbird Station as one possible future platform.
Thunderbird’s design emphasizes both functionality and habitability. The concept includes large domed windows for Earth observation, modular interior pods for privacy, and reconfigurable spaces that can be adapted for work, science, or living quarters during a mission. The company also highlights integrated digital displays for communications and monitoring, suggesting a station aimed at both professional crews and commercial users.
Significant challenges remain. Inflatable habitats must demonstrate long term durability against micrometeoroids and orbital debris, an increasingly serious issue in crowded low Earth orbit. Structural integrity, radiation shielding, and emergency safety systems will also be closely scrutinized before any crewed mission is approved.
Even so, expandable stations offer an enticing advantage: far more usable space per launch than traditional rigid modules. If Thunderbird Station performs as designed, it could signal a shift in how humanity builds, scales, and inhabits orbital infrastructure, not only around Earth, but potentially around the Moon and Mars as well.
