Above Space (formerly Orbital Assembly Corporation) is an American space development company focused on designing, manufacturing, and operating gravity-capable space stations in orbit, cislunar space, and throughout the solar system. They aim to enable a thriving space-based economy by constructing orbital platforms for commercial, governmental, and tourism purposes, including potential space hotels with artificial gravity. Key projects include the Pioneer-class and Voyager-class space stations, and they have partnered with organizations like NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense. Associated keywords: space stations, on-orbit manufacturing, space tourism, artificial gravity, space infrastructure.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
ABOVE: Orbital is a subsidiary of ABOVE: Space Development Corporation that is planning for future habitability in low Earth orbit, cislunar space, and beyond.
The $1,700,000 SpaceWERX SBIR award to Above: Orbital is complementary to its thin-film manufacturing initiative and supports development of on-orbit power solutions.
Above Space Development Corp. changed its name in 2022 as its projects expanded beyond assembling structures in orbit to developing automated space platforms for defense and commercial applications.
Above Space (formerly Orbital Assembly) aims to develop large rotating space stations and secured a $1,700,000 U.S. Space Force contract in March 2023 to work on technologies for deployable structures.
Above: Space Development Corporation received a $1,700,000 Phase II SBIR award earlier 2023 to develop an efficient, lightweight structure to support solar panels, large power systems, communications antenna arrays, and other space infrastructure functions.
Above: Space Development Corporation was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I Award from the United States Air Force to develop a solar heated crucible for the manufacturing of lightweight, thin-film solar photovoltaics on-orbit.
The Ax-2 mission is subject to NASA’s updated pricing policy for private astronaut missions, which reflects the full value of services the agency provides above space station baseline capabilities.
The Ax-2 mission is subject to NASA’s updated pricing policy for private astronaut missions, which reflects the full value of services the agency is providing that are above space station baseline capabilities.