Three Decades-Old Space Station Concepts from the 1970s, Including McDonnell Douglas and NASA Designs, Gain Renewed Attention

A recent social media post by user "Element115" has brought renewed attention to three distinct, ambitious space station concepts from the 1970s, showcasing the era's visionary ideas for human presence in Earth orbit. The tweet specifically highlighted "Eastern Airlines commercial spaceflight services," the "McDonnell Growth Space Station (70s)," and a "Submission to a NASA station design contest from the early 70s." These historical concepts offer a fascinating look at the trajectory of space exploration planning.

The mention of "Eastern Airlines commercial spaceflight services" appears to reflect a conceptual vision rather than an operational program. While Eastern Airlines, a prominent carrier of the era, did not directly offer spaceflight services, its former CEO, astronaut Frank Borman, provided a tangential link to space. The idea of commercial airlines extending services to space was a speculative notion during a period when the private sector's role in space was still largely undefined, contrasting with today's burgeoning commercial space industry.

The "McDonnell Growth Space Station" refers to significant design studies conducted by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing) in the early 1970s. These Phase B studies, initiated in July 1969, explored concepts for a 12-man modular space station designed for expansion over time. Such proposals envisioned a versatile orbital outpost capable of supporting scientific research, Earth observation, and even manufacturing, building upon the company's prior involvement in projects like Skylab.

The "Submission to a NASA station design contest from the early 70s" points to a period of extensive conceptualization within NASA following the Apollo program. The agency actively solicited innovative designs for future space stations, lunar bases, and Mars missions from various aerospace companies and research institutions. These contests aimed to gather diverse ideas that would inform and shape the long-term vision for human spaceflight, influencing subsequent station architectures and technologies, even if the specific designs were not ultimately constructed.