Question map
Which one of the following is the first commercial space station?
Explanation
Axiom Station is recognized as the world's first commercial space station currently under construction. Developed by Axiom Space, it is designed to serve as a private orbital platform and a successor to the International Space Station (ISS). The company plans to dock its first commercial module, Axiom Hab One, to the ISS by 2026 for on-orbit testing before eventually detaching to operate as an independent commercial outpost. While the ISS is a research hub that facilitates private space tourism and commercial experiments, it is a government-led international collaboration costing over $150 billion [1]. In contrast, Axiom Station is a private venture aimed at fostering a robust commercial economy in low-Earth orbit. Other options like Voyager 1 and Galileo are interstellar probes or navigation systems, not space stations.
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > 2.8. Distant Artificial Objects Exploring the Solar System > p. 39