Commercial Stations Take Shape in Low Earth Orbit
Expandable Modules Pack More Room into Each Launch
Building With Lunar Soil
Designing Habitats for Mental Health
Conclusion
References and Further Reading
For over two decades, the International Space Station has been the primary human outpost in orbit, and NASA expects to retire it around 2030. That deadline made 2026 a busy year for space habitats. Engineers are building structures for different environments, from private stations in low Earth orbit to permanent habitats on the Moon. Each setting has its own limits regarding mass, volume, safety, and comfort.
This round-up follows four case studies from 2026 focusing on lunar habitat design. It highlights a field shifting from survival toward long-term living, addressing engineering questions about structure certification, orbital reach, material use, and the impact of layout on inhabitants.1
Image Credit: Triff/Shutterstock.com
Commercial Stations Take Shape in Low Earth Orbit
The year 2026 started with a significant schedule update. In January, Vast postponed the launch of Haven-1, its single-module station, to no earlier than the first quarter of 2027. The company also initiated the first of three integration phases, focusing on installing thermal control systems and life support systems. Later phases will add avionics and navigation, followed by crew habitation details and micrometeorite shielding. The company expects to finish integration and environmental testing by the end of 2026.2
Haven-1 shows how a small station can leverage its visitors' support. The module will host up to four astronauts for stays up to two weeks, and a docked SpaceX Dragon capsule will supply life support and power. Before any crew flies, Vast must convince SpaceX through contracts and verification data that docking is safe. Here, habitat design includes the paperwork and testing that prove a structure is trustworthy.2
Policy developments have also progressed alongside hardware advancements. In July, NASA announced a draft request for proposals for the next phase of its commercial station program. This program will involve NASA purchasing services from private space stations. The plan includes fixed-price contracts and will initially select two or more companies. NASA will then fund design, testing, and certification through competitive task orders. Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the industry views NASA as just one customer among many.3
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Expandable Modules Pack More Room into Each Launch
Rigid metal modules have a fundamental limit that their width cannot exceed the interior dimensions of the rocket fairing that transports them. Florida startup Max Space addresses this with Thunderbird, an expandable habitat designed to launch in a compact configuration on a single Falcon 9 and unfold in orbit. By comparison, the International Space Station required dozens of launches and years of assembly. This single-launch innovation removes most of that orbital construction.1
Expandable structures use layered fabrics, commonly referred to as soft goods, that have been tested in space by NASA. These layers are effective in protecting against micrometeoroids, radiation, and pressure loss. Before Thunderbird takes flight, Max Space intends to conduct smaller demonstrations and collaborate with NASA under Space Act Agreements. The company has also enlisted former astronaut Nicole Stott to plan the interior, so the layout reflects how crews move and work in microgravity.1
Building With Lunar Soil
On the Moon, the challenge shifts from launch volume to material sourcing. Every kilogram shipped from Earth adds cost, so researchers want to use regolith, the loose gray soil on the lunar surface. In February, an Ohio State team reported melting a simulant called LHS-1, which mimics highland soil, using laser printing. The process fused layers onto a base surface, producing small heat-resistant parts.4
The surface under the print was also important. The simulant did not stick well to stainless steel and glass, but it bonded well with an aluminosilicate ceramic. This may be because both materials form crystals that make them stronger and more stable at high temperatures. Oxygen levels, laser power, and print speed also affected quality. The lab printer runs on grid electricity, so the authors suggest that lunar versions could draw on solar or hybrid power systems.4
In May, another NASA-funded study took a gentler route. Researchers mixed regolith simulant with a shape-memory vitrimer, a polymer that can reform its chemical bonds, and then extruded the blend at low temperature. Printed samples reached compressive strength near 73 MPa and kept about 58% of their mechanical properties after a second crack-healing cycle. This self-repair feature could help fix damage from meteorite impacts and temperature changes.5
Designing Habitats for Mental Health
The final case study focuses on mental well-being in space. In August, a npj Microgravity study maps how habitat design affects behavioral health in isolated, confined settings. They built a directed acyclic graph, a risk diagram format NASA already uses, linking mission stressors and design choices to outcomes such as stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation.6
The team converted the graph into an interactive online tool called the Human-Environment Connection and Interaction Atlas. It draws on 14 emotions and experiences, including autonomy, curiosity, fatigue, and kinship among crewmates. Designers can work forward from a constraint such as distance from Earth, or backward from a goal such as easing homesickness. That second approach leads to the concept of place attachment, which is connected to privacy and the design of reconfigurable rooms.6
The atlas also turns research findings into layout advice. Studies suggest that entrances, stairs, and access paths facilitate friendship formation, prompting planners to design pathways that encourage interaction between private quarters and shared spaces where crews are likely to gather. The study also stresses that the tool supports judgment and leaves final choices to each project. The insights are relevant to space missions but also to submarines, polar bases, and other remote workplaces that face pressures similar to those experienced in orbit.6
Conclusion
The above case studies trace a connection between structure and experience. Vast and NASA showed that orbital habitats depend on verification and contracts as much as on welding. Similarly, Max Space demonstrated how expandable fabrics can deliver large volumes in a single launch, and research on lunar printing tested whether local soil can be used to create durable, self-healing walls. Meanwhile, the Human-Environment Connection and Interaction Atlas provided designers with a methodology for linking room layouts to crew well-being.
Each project addresses a specific aspect of the overarching challenge: creating environments where individuals can live safely and comfortably far from Earth.
Several key milestones, including the Haven-1 launch and the first demonstrations of expandable technology, are projected to occur in 2027 and beyond. The decisions made in 2026 will shape those habitats, and the buildings that follow them will show how far design has moved from survival toward everyday living.
References and Further Reading
- Theresa Cross. (2026). Expandable space stations are back… well at least Max Space thinks they are. Space Explored. https://spaceexplored.com/2026/01/19/expandable-space-stations-are-back-well-at-least-max-space-thinks-they-are/
- Jacqueline Feldscher. (2026). Vast Delays Haven-1 Launch to 2027. Payload Space. https://payloadspace.com/vast-delays-haven-1-launch-to-2027/
- Jamie Bennet. (2026). NASA Requests Industry Feedback on Draft Commercial Space Station Phase 2 Solicitation. Executive Gov. https://www.executivegov.com/articles/jared-isaacman-nasa-administrator-cldc-program-draft-rfp
- Tatyana Woodall. (2026). Using moon dirt to build future lunar colonies. Ohio State News. https://news.osu.edu/using-moon-dirt-to-build-future-lunar-colonies/
- Gyabaah, K. Y. et al. (2026). Extrusion-based Additive Manufacturing of Regolith-Filled Shape Memory Vitrimer Composite for Lunar Construction. NASA Technical Reports Server. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20260002896
- Lin, M., Chen, L., & Arquilla, K. (2026). Interactive causal diagram of habitat design impacts on behavioral health and performance in extreme environments. Npj Microgravity, 12(1), 68. DOI:10.1038/s41526-026-00618-9. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-026-00618-9
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