New Inside SpaceX's new Space Station Is Not What You Think! Ready to replace NASA ISS

The International Space Station is basically dying out and it's set to retire by the end of this decade. But don't worry, NASA already has a plan to replace it. They're teaming up with Axiom Space, a company that once couldn't even pay salaries for nearly a thousand employees just to build the Axiom Space Station or ASS. And yes, read it letter by letter, not as a single word. It's not exactly the most highly rated project out there, but thanks to its tight partnership with SpaceX, it might actually become the very first commercial station to operate in orbit. So, how far along is the project? What makes the ASS different from the ISS in the first place? Let's dive into it in today's episode of Alpha Tech. Back in 2024, when other space station projects still hadn't made much noise, like Vast Spac's Haven Station, Blue Origins Orbital Reef, or even Star Lab from Star Lab space, Axiom Space quietly stood out as our best shot at the future of living and working in low Earth orbit. This is a private company with a surprising amount of NASA experience packed into its team, plus a healthy stream of funding from NASA contractors and private investors. They're not just dreaming big. They're working with NASA and following a bold but incredibly practical plan. Instead of building an entirely separate station from day one, Axiom is going to launch its first module directly to the ISS. Then they'll keep adding one module at a time until the Axiom station becomes fully operational and completely independent. And when the ISS finally begins its fiery descent back to Earth, Axiom will detach, float free, and carry human presence in space forward without missing a beat. That's right. This is an incredibly exciting project. But here's the problem. The people managing and building the ASS project aren't exactly the most competent. This is Michael Sufini. He spent three decades at NASA and served as the ISS program manager from 2005 to 2015. directly overseeing the station's transition from assembly to full operations. In 2016, he teamed up with billionaire Cam Gafarian, head of NASA's second largest engineering services contractor, the group responsible for astronaut training and ISS operations. Eager to speed things up, Mike went on a massive hiring spree. By early 2024, Axiom had close to a thousand employees, all aimed at hitting their ambitious goal, launching the first payload power thermal module and docking it to the ISS within the year. But obviously, they didn't make it. Why? Because they hired way faster than they built. Many new engineers had nothing to do while the company was burning through nearly $10 million a month just in salaries. That forced a major round of layoffs, roughly a 100 employees. And for the remaining staff, Axiom even floated the idea of paying part of their compensation in company stock just to keep talent from leaving. And luckily by 2025, things finally started settling into a stable orbit. Employees were getting paid on time again. And although the project is still behind the original schedule, it has recently made some very promising progress. Their latest update on X came at the end of July where they posted from the first to the final weld on Axiom station's payload power and thermal module took the the Elenia space team only about 250 days. Yep, roughly 8 months to complete the main welding phase. That's actually impressive and it really shows how effective the international partnership with Italy has been. It also helps rebuild confidence from NASA and from all of us while making it easier for Axiom to attract new investors. And just a week later, they posted another update. After last week's final weld, the Thales Alenia space team will connect the aft and forward sections of the PPTM primary structure, conduct flight certification tests, and ready the pressure vessel for its trip to Houston for systems integration. It's now been about 4 months without any new updates on the PPTM module, but that's pretty normal. This phase usually stretches until late December or even early 2026. After that, the module will be rolled to Houston for the systems integration stage where Axiom will install the interior, hardware, and electrical systems. That whole process is expected to take 18 to 24 months, which means the launch is currently net late 2027 on a SpaceX Falcon 9. Once it docks with the ISS, it'll eventually detach and begin free flight together with the Habitat 1 module in early 2028. Speaking of SpaceX, Axiom's relationship with them is almost as tight as SpaceX's partnership with Vast Space. Besides buying Falcon 9 launch services, Axiom also signed deals back in 2020 to 2021 to use Crew Dragon for their crude missions from Axiom 1 all the way through Axiom 4. Recent updates from 2024 to 2025 show that SpaceX is even considering using Starship for Axiom's larger future modules like the AXRMF since Starship can haul over 100 tons and is fully reusable which could slash long-term costs. There's no firm schedule yet of course since Starship is still in testing. But for now, Axiom has already locked in Crew Dragon as their future shuttle between Earth and their station. Honestly, a few years from now, SpaceX's manifest is going to be packed. Not only do they have to support ISS missions. They'll be launching for both VAST and Axiom. Just thinking about the logistics is a headache, but a profitable one for SpaceX. And beyond profit, their influence in the space industry is only going to multiply. So, back to the ASS station. We already know their first module headed to the ISS will be the PPTM. But why that one? Why launch it first? Well, the main reason is docking logistics. Originally, Habitat 1 was supposed to dock to the forward port of the ISS. But that same port is also reserved for SpaceX's de-orbit vehicle. That means Habitat 1 would have required moving adapters around, a messy, expensive process that could drag on for months. By launching the PPTM first, Axiom avoids all of that. The PPTM about 11 meters long and 4.2 meters wide can dock to the Nadier port of node one or node 2, which is usually used for cargo vehicles. This lets the module live alongside the future de-orbit spacecraft without blocking anything. On top of that, PPTM immediately brings power, thermal control, and larger payload capacity than HAB 1. That makes it much easier to transfer equipment and scientific experiments from the ISS to the Axiom station as it grows, keeping microgravity research going without interruption. And since the PPTM acts as the station's heart, it's designed to deliver power and thermal control at a level comparable to the entire ISS. It uses rollout solar arrays from Redwire, a radiator-based cooling system, and eight science racks for storing and operating research payloads. Only after that will Axiom launch the remaining four modules, Habitat 1, the airlock, Habitat 2, and the RMF. Among the four remaining modules, the two we should pay the most attention to are Habitat 1, and Habitat 2. These are the primary living and working spaces for the station's crew. They're designed to offer a more comfortable environment, support crew health, and enable basic research, a clear shift from the ISS modules, which were built mainly for long-term international science with much more complex layouts. Let's start with HAB 1, the station's first core living module. It's planned to launch in 2028 after the PPTM. The module is about 11 m long and 4.2 2 m in diameter, roughly the size of a smaller ISS module like Harmony. That gives it around 50 to 60 cubic meters of usable volume, enough for a crew of four. Inside, HAB 1 features four private crew quarters, each with a large window looking down on Earth, touchscreen communication panels, a galley with a microwave and specialized fridge, and exercise equipment to counter muscle loss. things like a treadmill and a vibration isolated stationary bike. The standout tech here includes independent navigation and control systems, plus its own set of small thrusters for orbit adjustments. Speaking of thrusters, just last month, Axiom was testing the propulsion system for the PPTM. That module will use 32 powerful Mark 8 engines to boost the entire station without relying on visiting spacecraft. Back to HAB one. It's fitted with four flexible radial ports. Two are used for connecting to future Axiom modules and the other two are for visiting vehicles like Crew Dragon. This setup lets HAB 1 operate more like a standalone spacecraft instead of something that depends heavily on ISS infrastructure. Now, next comes HAB 2, launching around 2029. It expands the station's living space with a layout similar to HAB 1, but with several major upgrades. This module will carry a full environmental control and life support system capable of recycling up to 98% of water and air. A big step up from the ISS's roughly 90%. It will also feature high-speed commercial satellite communications for realtime data transfer. But the standout feature is the remote robotic arm. HAB 2 will carry its own remote manipulator system, similar in concept to Canid Arm 3, allowing the crew to assist with module assembly or perform maintenance outside the station. With this addition, the total capacity of the habitats rises to eight people, adding four more crew quarters and an expanded workspace. That shift turns the station into a true multi-purpose platform for space tourism and commercial manufacturing. Compared to the ISS, where modules like Destiny or Harmony are larger but built with rigid, highly interdependent systems, Axioms habitats take a completely different approach. They're designed to be modular, detachable, and expandable without major reconfiguration. And from the start, Axiom embraced an economic model. Government research is still part of the plan, but paying customers and private missions are a core business. That gives ASS the potential to operate freely after 2028 at roughly one-third the cost of the ISS while maintaining high-end scientific capability. And unlike Blue Origin, whose New Shepard flights offer just a few minutes of weightlessness, Axiom is aiming for something far more immersive, a true astronaut style experience, complete with a room overlooking Earth from orbit. For future space tourists, that's in a completely different league. And Axiom isn't stopping there. They're also building something just as groundbreaking. The Axiom Extra Vehicular Mobility Unit or Aximu, a next generation space suit designed specifically for NASA's Aremis missions on the moon. This suit proved itself during its very first thermal vacuum test on November 20th, 2025. Inside KBR's lab in San Antonio, Texas, the same facility that once trained Apollo astronauts. It's a pretty symbolic moment showing just how far spac suit technology has evolved while still carrying that legacy forward. And yes, the Aximu has already gone through underwater simulations. The kind of training that pushes suits to their limits. Water can't get inside it, so moondust definitely won't stand a chance. What makes Aximu stand out is its set of real practical upgrades. Advanced materials that can survive extreme temperatures. A modular design that works for all kinds of mission profiles and the ability to fit a much wider range of astronaut body sizes.