What Can be Saved Before it Happens?

Summary

The video explores which International Space Station (ISS) equipment might be worth transferring to Axiom Space’s commercial station before the ISS is deorbited over the Pacific. The narrator’s proposed salvage plan is speculative: Axiom representatives say they have a list of items they hope to keep, but have not disclosed specifics.

Constraints on reusing ISS hardware

• Axiom’s first module is expected to dock with the ISS and has eight equipment-rack slots. ISS-standard racks can carry power, cooling, data, water, or gas connections and can be transferred as complete units.
• Moving existing hardware is not automatically cheaper than building new equipment. Some ISS systems are old, and dismantling them could require costly, risky spacewalks and valuable crew time.
• Axiom’s modules are designed to have their own propulsion and use robotic arms. This reduces the need for the ISS’s Canadarm, which was built to move modules and support external repairs. Axiom also does not expect to have an airlock for spacewalks in the near term.
• The ISS’s large rollout solar arrays are unlikely to be transferred; installing new arrays with Axiom’s modules may be more practical.

The narrator’s suggested rack choices

The video identifies six racks’ worth of possible priorities, leaving two slots open:

1. A newer oxygen-generation system: NASA plans to test a system designed using lessons from decades of ISS operations. Its components are divided between separate domes, so a failed part can be replaced without discarding the entire assembly. It is intended to be portable and able to sit unused for extended periods—features that could suit Axiom. The timing is uncertain, however, because NASA wants to operate it on the ISS for several years, and station schedules may not align.
2. Protein-crystal growth: Microgravity can produce more uniform crystals. The narrator points to research on drugs such as Keytruda, for which space-grown material could support a more convenient injectable formulation, and suggests preserving a Japanese-module protein-crystal rack.
3. Two 3D-printing capabilities sharing one rack: A Redwire bioprinter has produced a knee meniscus and live heart tissue in orbit. A separate plastic printer has manufactured tools and spare parts on demand, potentially reducing the need to launch replacements from Earth.
4. Human Research Facility: Two racks contain equipment for monitoring astronaut health, including mass measurement, ultrasound, strength testing, and breath analysis. The narrator argues that these tools could be valuable for Axiom crews on longer missions.
5. Space-grown food: The existing plant-growth habitat monitors conditions such as light, temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide. The narrator pairs it with the newer Ohalo 3 experiment, which is intended to test food-growing approaches relevant to deep-space missions.

For the remaining two slots, the video lists possibilities rather than making a firm selection: the Cold Atom Lab, organ-on-a-chip research, an electrostatic levitation furnace, and a fiber-optic manufacturing experiment.

Other technical context

The ISS hosts research and equipment that could benefit future commercial stations, but the video emphasizes that continuity of research, transfer logistics, station safety, and replacement costs all matter. The question is not simply which hardware is most impressive, but which systems can realistically be moved and remain useful.

The video also includes a brief promotion for IEEE Spectrum, describing it as a source of technical journalism on engineering and emerging technologies.

Main speakers and sources

• Brian McManus, the video’s narrator, who develops the proposed salvage list.
• Aaron Tullos, Axiom Space’s vice president of engineering, discussing station design, equipment racks, solar arrays, and robotic systems.
• Axiom Space personnel and space-industry executives, interviewed at Axiom’s headquarters and on an Astro Awards panel.
• Scott Parazynski, referenced by the narrator for his experiences using the Canadarm during ISS repair work.
• Technical examples and research discussed include work by NASA, Redwire, Eli Lilly, and ISS research teams.