Core Insights - NASA plans to terminate the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030, hiring Elon Musk to deorbit it [1] - Four teams of companies are competing to build new private space stations to replace the ISS [3][6] Group 1: Competing Teams - The four teams include Orbital Reef led by Blue Origin, Starlab, Axiom Space, and Vast Space [7] - Blue Origin is currently preoccupied with multiple projects, including lunar exploration and satellite internet, which may hinder its focus on Orbital Reef [3][4] - Starlab is making significant progress by forming an international coalition and recently added defense contractor Leidos to its team [4][5] Group 2: Starlab's Competitive Edge - Starlab has attracted various partners, including Voyager Technologies, Hilton Worldwide, Northrop Grumman, Palantir, MDA Space, Airbus, and Mitsubishi [5][6] - Janus Henderson Group has joined Starlab, indicating a strategic investment and confidence in Starlab's design and business model [8][9] - Starlab is positioned as a U.S.-led global partnership, which may make it more appealing to NASA and international space agencies [9]