Is the ISS Retiring? NASA Details Plans for Using Privately Developed Space Stations in the Future

The International Space Station (ISS) is expected to retire at the end of this decade as NASA turns to companies to build private space stations in low-Earth orbit to save an estimated $1 billion per year. The American space agency revealed that it has already received almost a dozen proposals from companies for contracts.

Earlier this month, NASA also released its detailed plans for transitioning from the ISS to one or more private space stations that are expected to be developed in the coming years.

ISS Operations Extended Until 2030

The ISS is a collaboration between 15 countries that include NASA in the US, Roscosmos in Russia, countries in the European Space Agency, partners from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. The space station left Earth on October 31, 2000, which means it has been operating for more than 20 years.

Inside the space laboratory, astronauts, who are also scientists specializing in different fields, conduct studies that contribute to scientific success. Despite that, NASA and its international partners are aware that it cannot operate forever.

In late 2021, US President Joe Biden's administration said that they are committed to extending the ISS operations until 2030; in which NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that the plan would include continued cooperation with their international partners in the last eight years of the ISS.

Recently, NASA also released a report on its plans to keep the floating laboratory operating over the next few years. The American space station looks forward to the final years of the operation of the ISS as its most productive. NASA will aim to support deep space exploration and continue contributing to medical and environmental science to serve humanity.

NASA noted in the report that ISS is currently the busiest it has ever been, especially since private companies are also transporting astronauts and supplies to the space station.

NASA Will Partner With Private Space Stations

VOA News reported that NASA's goal is to completely move the operations of the ISS to privately developed space stations. This will help the agency to save operations costs as they will only need to pay space station operators for the goods and services that they will need. NASA said that they have already received proposals from different companies, such as Blue Origin.

Jeff Bezos' company announced last October its plans for the "Orbital Reef" station, which is about 830 cubic meters and can support at least 10 people. It is nearly the size of the ISS and will be designed to serve scientists, space agencies, countries with no space programs, and others.

Another company is Nanoracks which will be teaming up with Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin to develop the first free-flying space station. It will be named "Starlab" and is set to start its operation by 2027.

Lastly, Northrop Grumman said that it would be developing a "free-flying space station" for ASA. They announced in December that they would be supporting activities for science, tourism, and industrial experimentation.

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