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NASA is in danger of losing its foothold in orbit after the end of the International Space Station.
Why is this important: Without an operational base in space, the agency’s plan to move from being the sole service provider in orbit to that of a client for the companies operating there is compromised.
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Driving the news: NASA launched a final call this month asking companies to submit their ideas for space stations they could build and operate where astronauts could visit and perform experiments.
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These space stations are expected to be operational by the end of the ISS by 2030 or earlier.
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NASA will award money to companies chosen for certain milestones, but the agency will not fully fund the development of these space stations, according to the call for proposals.
Context: It took SpaceX’s Dragon nine years to transport NASA astronauts to the space station after the space shuttle program ended, a long interval during which NASA had to pay to transport people aboard the Russian Soyuz rocket. .
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This type of deviation is unacceptable for the end of the space station, according to Phil McAlister, director of commercial spaceflight at NASA.
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“We think [a gap] would decimate both the crew and cargo capabilities that we have helped develop, and it would also decimate any research we have been able to accomplish in the 20 years of continuous presence on the ISS, ”McAlister told me. .
Challenges : If NASA is unable to continue sending its astronauts to a space station, it could affect the space agency’s exploration plans in the future.
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NASA hopes to send astronauts to the Moon in 2024, with more lunar missions to come, and then to Mars sometime after. But it would also be beneficial for the space agency to have astronauts in low Earth orbit to gain experience before heading to a distant destination.
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“Maintaining this presence in low earth orbit allows us and our partners to have a significant number of astronauts … and to acquire knowledge about how the human body reacts in the long term. [to spaceflight], and that’s something we can only do in lower earth orbit, ”Redwire Space’s Mike Gold told me.
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The space agency also wants to maintain a human presence in low Earth orbit in part to maintain its position as a leading space power as China works to build its own space station and also aims to send people to the moon.
Yes, but: It’s not clear Congress will fund NASA’s plan to help support the development of the low-earth orbit industry.
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NASA requested $ 150 million for its low Earth orbit commercialization for fiscal 2021, but only got $ 17 million from Congress.
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It is also still unclear what kind of demand there will be for these space stations outside of governments in the future, although some have suggested that specialized pharmaceutical or technological products could be manufactured in zero gravity.
What to watch: NASA already has an agreement with Axiom Space to fly a module to the ISS in 2024, the first step in the company’s plan to eventually operate its own commercial space station.
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“So NASA has to make changes to the International Space Station for us to get there, and we have to build our modules,” Mike Suffredini, CEO of Axiom, told me. “The other half of this question is whether NASA will be ready.”
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