John McFall, a British Paralympian and surgeon, could become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit. The UK government has partnered with US company Vast to fund his potential mission to the Haven-1 space station, launching possibly in 2027.
A Californian company will send French astronaut and Arnaud Prost to the ISS and a new commercial space station via SpaceX capsules, making France and Cnes key partners in commercial space stations.
As the ISS prepares for controlled deorbit around 2030-2031, NASA is shifting to a customer model, funding multiple private companies to build commercial space stations. These new stations aim to foster an orbital economy focused on manufacturing, research, and space tourism, replacing the ISS's governmental cooperation with a business-driven approach.
