Max Space unveils a bold plan for a commercial space station
WASHINGTON — Max Space, a startup pioneering expandable module technologies, intends to field a commercial space station that could ride into orbit on a single Falcon 9. The company disclosed Thunderbird Station on December 17, a compact habitat built around one large module that would swell to about 350 cubic meters in space—roughly one-third of the International Space Station’s volume—once assembled in orbit. The design envisions continuous occupancy by four people and provides two docking ports for visiting vehicles.
Max Space first emerged from stealth in April 2024, presenting its expandable-module concept as a different path from other inflatable-module efforts. The company contends that its approach yields more predictable safety margins and scales more reliably to larger sizes.
Initially, Max Space planned to supply the module technology to other station developers or to applications such as in-space propellant depots, rather than building a station of its own. NASA’s revised Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations (CLD) strategy, announced in August, prompted the team to advance a standalone station concept aligned with their technology.
“It became clear there was an opportunity to demonstrate how these modules can support human habitation,” said Saleem Miyan, Max Space’s chief executive, in an interview.
NASA’s decision to fund multiple Space Act Agreements aimed at early demonstrations of commercial stations created momentum for Max Space to accelerate its long-range roadmap.
That CLD shift gave us a strong incentive to map out how we would actually bring the plan to life,” Miyan explained.
A standout feature of Thunderbird Station is its ability to launch from a single Falcon 9. By contrast, several competing concepts require multiple launches or rely on heavy-lift options like SpaceX’s Starship.
The secret sauce is what Max Space calls a “morphic interior structure,” which uses soft materials for much of the interior and allows crews to reconfigure the space for different missions.
“We’ve built a highly adaptable internal environment,” Miyan noted, likening it to rearranging furniture in a home. “This gives us usable volume, lets astronauts tailor their living area, and creates ample space that can be tapped for large-scale manufacturing in orbit.”
To shape the habitat, Max Space brought on former NASA astronaut Nicole Stott as lead astronaut. “Her input has been invaluable to our design and engineering teams as we sketch the ideal interior habitat,” Miyan said.
Joining Stott is Kartik Sheth, a former associate chief scientist at NASA. Miyan said Sheth will help ensure Thunderbird Station satisfies not only NASA’s needs but also wider American requirements.
Despite CLD-driven acceleration, the company sees significant interest from other sectors. “What people have seen of our design, strategy, and the prospect of a low-cost, sizable station has sparked broad interest beyond the CLD framework,” Miyan stated.
Potential markets include researchers seeking to continue ISS-like experiments and entities pursuing in-space manufacturing of semiconductors or fiber optics. In contrast to tourism, those applications have generated more enthusiasm among potential customers.
The next major milestone is Mission Evolution, a small-scale prototype slated to launch in early 2027 on a SpaceX rideshare mission. A principal aim of that mission is to validate the module’s micrometeoroid and orbital debris shielding, described by Miyan as a “layer of leaves” that has performed well in ground tests but awaits orbital confirmation. The test also covers the module’s environmental control and life-support systems.
Max Space, with about 50 employees and a facility in Exploration Park near Kennedy Space Center, says Mission Evolution is fully funded by a consortium of strategic and institutional investors it has not publicly named. The company has raised over $10 million in a pre-seed round.
Beyond Thunderbird Station, the expandable module concept could adapt to other missions, including lunar or Martian journeys. Miyan asserted that the same core module architecture could be repurposed for a lunar lander, underscoring the versatility of the technology.
“We’re looking at numerous compelling use cases where durable habitats—whether crewed or uncrewed—are needed,” he said. “That’s where I expect we’ll stand out.”
Jeff Foust covers space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from MIT and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science.
