Space Odyssey
Arguably the most iconic space station design is the double-wheeled wonder from Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Though more than a decade has passed since the fictional events in the movie, we have yet to see such a machine in space.
The concept was based on ideas from the rocket pioneer Werner Von Braun, who was a big fan of circular space stations. Towering at more than 900 feet in diameter, the station served as a layover point between Earth and the moon.
Kubrick’s station was a perfect combination of form and function, beautifully designed inside and out. Though government space agencies clearly used the platform, private companies were a major component of its operation. Pan Am ships brought scientists, passengers, and bureaucrats to the station, where they could stay in a space-based Hilton hotel.