I could say it’s the recent big-screen adaptation of Dune, but really any time is a good time to muse about the state of space exploration.
And the space race is evidently heating up in Earth’s orbit, as per Eric Berger’s article for Ars Technica. Several groups, both national and commercial, are looking to have a permanent station in orbit. Well permanent for a while, since nothing gold can stay, due to wear and tear and cosmic radiation. So the ISS will be gone soon.
And it seems to be not so much “what will replace it?” but “how many stations will replace it?”
Keep watching the skies!