The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has chosen a team led by Axiom Space with design by Philippe Starck to create a commercial space station that will host professional astronauts and private explorers.

The decision follows a solicitation process that will see the Axiom-led team granted access to a node of the International Space Station (ISS) to which it will be able to attach for construction a new habitable pod that could ultimately replace the ISS.

The Axiom Segment will feature research and manufacturing facilities, crew quarters and a "large-windowed Earth observatory" through which visitors will be able to look back at their home planet.

According to Axiom, it will increase the usable and habitable space of the ISS, facilitate news means of research and allow some work already being carried out on the ISS to be gradually transferred across to prevent interruptions when the ISS is ultimately retired.

When that time comes, the Axiom Segment will be detached for use as an independent, free-flying space station that will be internationally available for commercial use and will have been built at a fraction of the cost of ISS.

Starck's initial designs for the module, which is expected to be launched in 2024, were unveiled in 2018 and were conceived as "a nest, a comfortable and friendly egg, which would feature materials and colours stemmed from a fetal universe."

“A space station is ruled by a fundamental law: zero gravity, explained Starck at the time. "Unlike terrestrial life constraints, life in space is a multi-directional freedom. My vision is to create a comfortable egg, friendly, where walls are so soft and in harmony with the values of movements of the human body in zero gravity. This dematerialization shall be a first approach to infinity. The traveller should physically and mentally feel their action of floating in the universe.”

Discussing the significance of NASA's decision, Dr. Kam Ghaffarian, executive chairman at Axiom, said: "A commercial platform in Earth orbit is an opportunity to mark a shift in our society similar to that which astronauts undergo when they see the planet from above.

"Our goal is to advance the state of humanity and human knowledge. I am glad to see the Axiom team, with its advanced human spaceflight, engineering, and operations expertise, recognized for its potential to do just that and build off of ISS."