Meet Thunderbird, the space station that grows in orbit
Max Space is shaking up space living with Thunderbird, a next-generation expandable space station.
Launched compact on a Falcon 9 rocket, it unfolds in orbit to give four astronauts plenty of room—350 cubic meters, to be exact.
The full version is planned for launch as early as 2029.
What makes Thunderbird different?
Thunderbird isn't your typical rigid metal tube. Its soft, reconfigurable interior can switch between living spaces, labs, or even factories in space.
With over 60 payload lockers and private crew cabins, it's designed for flexibility and cost savings—fewer launches and less mass per mission compared to old-school multi-module stations.
Why should you care?
The prototype (Mission Evolution) will hitch a ride with SpaceX in early 2027 to test life support and debris protection.
Unlike other stations that need lots of launches or can't change shape once built, Thunderbird does it all at once—and adapts mid-mission.
That means more usable space from a single launch and a real shot at changing how we live and work off Earth.