NASA Plans To Leave The ISS After 2030 - Here's What Will Come Next
In 2030, NASA will deorbit the ISS to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, an inglorious end to 30 years of international cooperation in space. However, that won't be the end of long-term human space occupation. NASA is already planning a replacement low Earth orbit space station, with three private companies trying to win the contract. Additionally, NASA wants to put a space station in orbit around the moon as part of the Artemis program, though that may not happen with a renewed emphasis on missions to Mars instead.
Read more: These Are The Car-Related Movie Mistakes That Really Bother You
NASA has learned that operating a space station on its own is an expensive proposition. President Reagan's vision of a wholly American-owned and operated Space Station Freedom eventually morphed into the International Space Station we know today, with other countries sharing the cost. Today, NASA favors private companies to meet its needs.
Much of SpaceX's success is due to NASA's heavy investment in the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft to bring cargo and astronauts to the ISS. Boeing's Starliner, on the other hand, has not worked out as well. As the ISS goes out of service, it makes sense that NASA would pursue the commercial route with a replacement space station as well.
Three companies have made proposals to NASA for the next American space station. Axiom Space has a plan not only to build its own station but to dock its payload, power, and thermal module to the ISS in 2027. Important research could be transferred off the ISS into this module, which would detach before the ISS is deorbited. It would then become the hub of Axiom Station as new modules launch and attach to it.
Orbital Reef is another commercial space station proposal, backed by companies including Sierra Space, Blue Origin, and Boeing. It proposes "a mixed-use business park in space," focused on research, commercial purposes, and even tourism. Starlab is the third proposal, with involvement from Voyager, Airbus, and Mitsubishi.
NASA also has space station plans beyond low Earth orbit. An important aspect of the Artemis program involves putting the Gateway space station into orbit not around the Earth, but around the moon. The Orion capsule will dock here, where astronauts will spend their time in lunar orbit rather than crammed into a small capsule as in the past. This is also where astronauts will transfer to the Human Landing System for trips to the lunar surface.
Gateway will function rather like the ISS, except in lunar orbit. NASA oversees the project and flies astronauts there on Artemis missions. Europe and Japan will supply some of the station's modules, the United Arab Emirates will provide an airlock, and Canada will provide a new Canadarm similar to that used on the ISS and Space Shuttle. Gateway's first habitation module, HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), has already been built in Italy and delivered to a Northrop Grumman facility in Arizona for further testing and preparation.
However, long-term projects such as Artemis are vulnerable to short-term political goals. Thanks to huge cuts to NASA's budget, the entire Artemis program, including Gateway, is in danger of being canceled. This was originally to prioritize a manned Mars mission, but President Trump's on-again, off-again relationship with Elon Musk may mean the Mars shot could get canceled as well.
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