When the International Space Station (ISS) retires, preparations have already begun to carry forward the legacy of the ISS. Europe's multinational aerospace company Airbus has designed a new space station with artificial gravity, whose module has been introduced recently.
The International Space Station (ISS) will soon stop working. NASA and its partners are trying their best to keep it working till 2030, while plans have also been made for space stations to be built after that, so that the legacy of ISS can be carried forward.
While China has already built the Tiangong space station, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is also planning to set up its own space station in the coming years. NASA has contracted with three aerospace companies - Blue Origin's Orbital Reef, The Axiom Space Station (AxS) and Starlab - to design commercial space stations. Apart from this, Europe's multinational aerospace company Airbus has also decided to try its hand at it.
Aerospace company Airbus designed the new space center
Recently, the company put forward its proposal for a Multipurpose Orbital Module (MPOP) named Airbus LOOP, by releasing a video. This modular space segment will have three decks, a centrifuge and space for four crew members to work.
This modular space segment
The interior design has three levels (or decks) as can be seen in the video below. These include, from top to bottom, a habitat deck, a science deck, and a centrifuge, which stimulates gravity for two people at the same time.
The diameter of the module is about 26 feet and the length is almost the same and its volume is 100 cubic meters. Each deck is accessed via a central tunnel, which is surrounded by a greenhouse structure. Experiments related to plants can be done here and from here there will be an equal supply of greens, legumes and other plants.
4 crew members
This module is designed for four crew members, but at one time it can temporarily accommodate eight astronauts. Depending on the mission requirements, each deck can be equipped with mission-specific machinery and infrastructure.
But perhaps the most interesting part of LOOP is its centrifuge, which houses two weights and two crew pods. These pods carry exercise bikes and can accommodate a crew member. Here one can workout in a simulated gravity environment. It is not yet known how much gravity the centrifuge will be able to stimulate.