The transition to a private space station won't happen soon

NASA must continue to rely on international cooperation to keep the International Space Station (ISS) afloat through 2030 and beyond, despite plans to replace the laboratory with a private commercial space station.

Launched in 1998, the ISS is now in its third decade of operation. The aging space lab is showing signs of wear and tear – many cracks and leaks have caused a loss of air pressure. His future also looked uncertain earlier this year when Dmitry Rogozin, the former head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, threatened to withdraw aid if the US and European Union did not lift sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

NASA still likes the idea of ​​a permanent space station, but not as a completely government-operated affair.

“Going forward, NASA’s vision for low-Earth orbit is a sustainable commercial space market in which NASA is one of many customers,” the space agency said in the ISS Benefit to Humanity report. [PDF]. “Development of a sound commercial supplier base for low-Earth orbit activities is critical to achieving that vision.”

In line with that vision, NASA has awarded multibillion-dollar contracts with private companies to build next-generation space stations, but none of these are set to launch anytime soon. Members of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel warned that the heir to the first potential ISS, a module for the space station that could later be released, may not be ready until 2024 at the earliest.

Amy Donahue, professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut and a member of the panel, warned: “There is very little margin to ensure a continued US presence in LEO is maintained in light of the ISS retirement plans by 2030,” the journal reports. Space News. NASA had no choice then, but is relying on the ISS for now if it wants a sustained human presence in low-Earth orbit.

For now, we’re partying

That’s why NASA celebrated the space station when it launched its annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference this week. Kirt Costello, chief scientist for the space station at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, noted that more than 3,300 experiments have been conducted over the past 20 years with rotating crews of astronauts. Costello believes now is the best time to reap the benefits of the results.

“First decade of the year [the] the station is a decade of construction; second decade, moving from early research to full utilization. We are now in the yield decade. Over the past 20 years, space stations have evolved from outposts on the edge of space into highly capable microgravity laboratories. Now the results are accumulating, new benefits are being realized, and the third decade builds on the research of the last two decades,” he wrote in the report.

The unique environment of the ISS allows scientists to perform experiments they could not do on Earth – such as studying the long-term health effects of living in space and the physical and chemical processes of microgravity. Over the past two decades of operations, astronauts have grown edible plants, sequenced DNA, and tested various communications equipment and robots to figure out how best to support human life as our species looks toward exploring Mars and beyond.

“Research conducted aboard the International Space Station advances scientific understanding of our planet, improves human health, develops cutting-edge technology, and inspires and educates future leaders through successful international partnerships; missions that are truly exciting and part of a legacy that will last forever.” felt for decades to come,” said Costello.

NASA and US vice president Kamala Harris confirmed they would extend ISS operations from 2025 to 2030, earlier this year. ®

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