5 stations · 16 return missions · 52 dated prices · 107 sources
Last checked Nov 1, 2026

Tracker · Stations

Commercial space stations: every station, its date, and how the date has moved

The ISS retires around 2030 and NASA plans to buy time on private stations instead. Cheaper launch is what makes a privately owned station possible. This tracker records each station's current launch target and every earlier target its company stated, with the date and a link.

By EJ · Updated Nov 1, 2026 · 26 sources linked

The short answer

First up: Vast's Haven-1, a single-module station targeting the first quarter of 2027 on a Falcon 9 (first announced for August 2025). Then Axiom's first module (end of 2027 in Axiom's last release; 2028 as reported in January 2026) and Starlab (2029, on one Starship launch).

NASA's money: proposals for NASA's next round of station funding are due December 8, 2026, with awards expected in spring 2027. NASA has told GAO its budget may support only one station.

The deadline: NASA plans to bring the ISS down at the end of 2030 or early 2031 (timeline).

Tracker

Every commercial station in work

StationCurrent targetFirst target givenLaunch onNASA moneyPrivate money
Haven-1Vast Q1 2027stated Jan 20, 2026 · Vast, Jan 20, 2026 No earlier than August 2025stated May 10, 2023 SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral; crews on SpaceX Dragon No NASA development money (unfunded Space Act Agreement, 2023) $500 million raised (March 2026)
Axiom StationAxiom Space End of 2027 (first module)stated Sep 25, 2025 · Axiom Space, Sep 25, 2025 By 2026 (first module, per NASA)stated Jul 26, 2023 Not stated NASA contract (January 2020) for at least one module on the ISS; value not published $350 million raised, equity and debt (February 2026, reported)
StarlabStarlab Space (Voyager Technologies 61.9%, with Airbus, Mitsubishi, MDA Space and Palantir) 2029stated Mar 10, 2026 · Voyager Technologies 10-K, Mar 10, 2026 2027 (operations)stated Oct 21, 2021 SpaceX Starship, one launch $217.5 million NASA development money in total; $34.3 million left at end of 2025 Voyager has put in $11.5 million cash, plus contracts and IP
Orbital ReefBlue Origin (announced with Sierra Space) No date givenstated Jul 14, 2026 · Blue Origin destinations page (archived), Jul 14, 2026 Second half of the 2020sstated Oct 25, 2021 Blue Origin New Glenn (as announced in 2021) $130 million NASA Space Act Agreement (December 2021) Not disclosed
Haven-2Vast First module operating in 2028; complete in 2032stated Nov 1, 2026 · Vast, Haven-2 page, Nov 1, 2026 First module in 2028, if NASA selects Vast in 2026stated Oct 14, 2024 Not stated Bidding for NASA's Phase 2 award Part of Vast's $500 million
International Space Station
Retiring: NASA plans to operate it through 2030 and bring it down at the end of 2030 or early 2031. Deorbit timeline
Tiangong
Government station; three modules complete since December 2022; three-person crews (Shenzhou-23 launched May 24, 2026 for a one-year stay). Xinhua, May 25, 2026
Date history

Every target date each company has given

Each line is a launch target as stated at the time, with who stated it and where. New statements are added the day they appear; old ones are never edited.

Haven-1

  1. May 10, 2023 · Vast No earlier than August 2025 "Scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to low-Earth orbit no earlier than August 2025" source
  2. Oct 14, 2024 · Vast 2025 "Haven-1, which is set to launch in 2025" source
  3. Feb 6, 2025 · Vast No earlier than May 2026 "Haven-1 launch NET May 2026" source
  4. Jan 12, 2026 · Vast May 2026 (still on Vast's Haven-1 page) "Haven-1, targeted to launch in May 2026" source
  5. Jan 20, 2026 · Vast Q1 2027 "Vast is updating its schedule for Haven-1 to be ready to launch Q1 2027." source
  6. Mar 1, 2026 · Vast 2027 (Vast's Haven-1 page, still live Nov 1, 2026) "Haven-1, targeted to launch in 2027" source

Axiom Station

  1. Jul 26, 2023 · NASA By 2026 (first module to the ISS) "Axiom Space is on track to launch its first module to the International Space Station by 2026." source
  2. Dec 18, 2024 · Axiom Space Free-flying station as early as 2028 (new assembly order) "revising the Axiom Station module sequence to enable its commercial space station to become an independent orbiting laboratory" source
  3. Sep 25, 2025 · Axiom Space Toward the end of 2027 (PPTM) "AxPPTM is anticipated to launch toward the end of 2027." source
  4. Jan 14, 2026 · Axiom's Peggy Whitson, as reported 2028 (PPTM), as reported "indicated the launch was now targeting 2028" source (press report)

Starlab

  1. Oct 21, 2021 · Nanoracks, Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin, as reported Operations from 2027 "with planned operation to begin in 2027" source (press report)
  2. Jan 4, 2023 · Voyager Space Launch in 2028 "Starlab is planned to be launched in 2028" source
  3. May 16, 2025 · Voyager Technologies (IPO filing) Launch in 2029 "launch, which is currently anticipated to occur in 2029" source
  4. Mar 10, 2026 · Voyager Technologies (10-K) Launch in 2029 "with launch anticipated in 2029" source

Orbital Reef

  1. Oct 25, 2021 · Blue Origin and Sierra Space Operating in the second half of the decade "The station will start operating in the second half of this decade." source
  2. Jul 14, 2026 · Blue Origin No date on Blue Origin's page source

Haven-2

  1. Oct 14, 2024 · Vast First module in 2028, if NASA selects Vast in 2026 "If selected in 2026, Vast plans to have the first module of Haven-2" source
  2. Nov 1, 2026 · Vast First module operating 2028, fully built 2032 "First module operational in 2028, fully constructed in 2032" source
NASA

NASA's commercial station programme

  1. Dec 2, 2021 NASA funds three commercial station designs: Blue Origin $130 million, Nanoracks (now Starlab) $160 million, Northrop Grumman $125.6 million; $415.6 million in total. NASA, Dec 2, 2021
  2. October 2023 Northrop Grumman and NASA end Northrop's agreement. GAO-26-107805, Jun 17, 2026
  3. Sep 5, 2025 NASA releases a draft of Phase 2, the next round of funding. NASA, Sep 5, 2025
  4. Jun 17, 2026 GAO: NASA had planned Phase 2 awards for April 2026; it expects $1 billion to $1.5 billion over fiscal 2026-2031 and said in March 2026 this may support only one station. GAO-26-107805, Jun 17, 2026
  5. Oct 9, 2026 Final request for proposals: fixed-price contracts with two or more companies. Proposals due December 8, 2026; awards expected in spring 2027. NASA, Oct 9, 2026

Who can afford to live and work in orbit after 2030 depends on these stations and on what a seat costs to reach them: see what it costs to go to space.

Update log

Changes to this page

  • Nov 1, 2026 · First published: 5 stations, 18 dated target statements.
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Cite this page

EJ, "Commercial space stations: every station, its date, and how the date has moved", Orbit Economics, updated Nov 1, 2026, https://orbiteconomics.com/space-stations/

Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page.