--- title: "Kentucky Startup Plans to Launch Teeny Tiny Space Station" description: "Space Tango, a Kentucky-based space startup, is planning to launch its own tiny orbital research platform in a matter of just two years." date: "2021-03-04" modified: "2021-03-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/kentucky-startup-tiny-space-station" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "iss" - "orbital launch" - "space station" - "the digest" --- # Kentucky Startup Plans to Launch Teeny Tiny Space Station ![Space Tango, a Kentucky-based space startup, is planning to launch its own tiny orbital research platform in a matter of just two years.]() *\Image: Space Tango\* ## Tiny Space Station Space Tango, a space startup based in Kentucky, is planning to launch its own tiny orbital research platform in a matter of just two years, [*United Press International* reports](). The company, which has just 22 employees, is outgrowing its small research containers, called CubeLabs, which are already on board the International Space Station. "As the scale of our business grows across a number of uses, having a dedicated spacecraft for manufacturing is the way to go," CEO Twyman Clements told *UPI*. ## Research Capsule Space Tango is planning to test cutting-edge technologies, including advanced 3D printing, inside a single capsule-sized space station named ST-42 that has been in development for two years. The station will be entirely automated and autonomous, meaning that it won't ever house astronauts, and feature solar panels for power and a heat shield. The space company is now trying to figure out how to keep the station in its orbit. "We're not necessarily interested in using hydrazine, which is common for in-space propulsion," Clements told *UPI*, adding that his company is looking into more environmentally friendly propulsion methods. ## Ride Share Space Tango is now trying to figure out how to get its station into orbit. Clements has already considered ride-sharing launch services such as the one offered by SpaceX. If everything goes according to plan, the startup wants to launch a prototype in 2023. **READ MORE:** [Kentucky firm plans orbital mini space station in two years]() \[*UPI*\] **More on space stations:** *[See a Russian Cargo Spaceship Disintegrating During Reentry]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()