Last October, it was revealed that Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin spaceflight company plans to establish its own commercial space station in low Earth orbit. Then, NASA announced in its announcement that it had chosen the program to provide funding with the Space Law Agreement to develop the design of the station.
While discussions are currently ongoing about what will replace the International Space Station (ISS), it looks like the iconic orbital station isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Because the station that will replace it is still in its infancy.
NASA will continue ISS operations until 2030!
Home to astronauts from around the world, the ISS has been in continuous use for over 20 years. In addition, the station is constantly integrating new technologies, such as an ongoing upgrade to its power system, which includes the installation of new solar arrays that began last year.
Representation of the space station developed by Blue Origin
But the fact is that the ISS is quite old now. Although NASA is constantly upgrading, the base systems and skeleton of the station are 24 years old. Even though it contains the best technology of the 20th century, Astronauts now need a new home built with today’s standards.
China has recently successfully placed the first segment of its own space station into orbit. NASA also announced that three private companies would work on plans for a new space station. The plans of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space company, which we mentioned at the beginning of the news, are also moving in this direction.
Although the number of companies that can carry out this work is quite sufficient, even the tests of the rocket, which will be launched in a completely ready state, require months. So the longer NASA can keep the ISS in space, the better.
Because its timing is critical. For example, this new station is expected to be completed towards the end of the 2020s. Then it will perform a successful launch and the old ISS will be abandoned. If there is a mistake in the launch, it can take many years to make up for it. Unlike Elon Musk’s rockets, they cannot be backed up because they are projects that cost billions of dollars.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement on the subject:
The International Space Station is a beacon of peaceful international scientific cooperation and for over 20 years has made tremendous scientific, educational and technological advances to benefit humanity. I am pleased that his administration is committed to maintaining station operations through 2030.
The United States’ continued participation in the ISS will increase innovation and competitiveness, as well as advance the research and technology needed to send the first woman and the first non-white person to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, and to send the first man to Mars. will open the way.
As more and more nations are active in space, it is more important than ever that the United States continues to lead the world in modeling growing international alliances, rules and norms for the peaceful and responsible use of space.
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