Airbus has presented some sketches of what a future space station might look like. Airbus calls its concept “Loop” and one section of the space station is equipped with a centrifuge that would simulate gravity similar to Earth’s gravity, which would allow astronauts to spend their time on the space station in a state of partial gravity.
Loop’s design includes three floors and capacity for living and research. The top floor is intended for living quarters, the middle floor for laboratories, and the bottom floor for the gravity centrifuge. The space station would be designed for four permanent resident astronauts, but could also accommodate eight spacecraft pilots. It is designed to be launched into orbit around Earth, the moon, or Mars in one section at a time by future rockets.
There is currently no information about when or if Airbus plans to realize Loop. The International Space Station (ISS) will be retired in 2030, and until then NASA aims to have at least one replacement in space. Other companies working on new concepts for space stations include Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, and NanoRacks.
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