The International Space Station is scheduled for deorbit around 2030. Four commercial programmes are competing to build its successors — a new era of privately operated orbital habitats for research, manufacturing, tourism and national security.
NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) programme is funding private companies to develop commercial space stations that will ensure continued American presence in low Earth orbit after the International Space Station is decommissioned around 2030. The agency awarded initial funding to three teams: Axiom Space, Blue Origin (Orbital Reef) and Nanoracks/Lockheed Martin/Voyager (Starlab). Russia is developing its own replacement, the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS).
Each station will need EVA-capable spacesuits for external maintenance and construction. Axiom's AxEMU is designed to serve double duty — supporting both Artemis lunar EVAs and Axiom Station orbital operations. The suit ecosystem is a critical enabler for the commercial station era.
| Station | Operator | Country | Launch Target | Crew | NASA Funding | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axiom Station | Axiom Space | 🇺🇸 USA | 2026–27 (first module) | 4+ | $130M | Modules in production |
| Orbital Reef | Blue Origin + Sierra Space | 🇺🇸 USA | ~2028 | 10 | $130M | Development |
| Starlab | Voyager Space + Airbus | 🇺🇸/🇪🇺 | ~2028 | 4 | $160M | Development |
| ROSS | Roscosmos | 🇷🇺 Russia | ~2028+ | 2–4 | — | Early development |