Spacehab: A Commercial Space Pathfinder

Article

“Spacehab: A Commercial Space Pathfinder” by Brad M. Meslin
Published in Quest Volume: 32 #4 (2025)

Abstract

Originally conceived as a pressurized container for tourists to be carried in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle, the plan was to offer roundtrip flights priced at $1 million—hence the name Spacehab, a contraction of “space” and “habitat.” NASA rejected this proposal but the agency expressed an interest in renting their pressurized modules to provide extra workspace for microgravity experiments and cargo. Founded in 1984 by Bob Citron, CSP Associates and its venture contacts were responsible for raising most of the early seed money needed to launch the firm. In 1995, Spacehab went public on the NASDAQ, presenting the public with a rare opportunity to invest in the commercialization of space.

Citation

Meslin, Brad M. “Spacehab: A Commercial Space Pathfinder.” Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly 32, no. 4 (2025): 29-32.