The Biden Administration has committed to supporting the International Space Station until the end of this decade. This gives commercial companies more time to develop and bring their stations online before the ISS is retired.
Commercial companies such as Sierra Space, Nanoracks, and Axiom Space are all developing their own commercial space stations that will be located in various earth orbits. This is all according to plan in NASA’s eyes. The ISS is around 23 years old now, and it will be nearing 30 years by 2030. While the station has been home to hundreds of payloads over the years, it is showing its age. This could be the last time we see the station’s life extended. However, human presence in Low Earth Orbit will not end with the station’s retirement. NASA hopes to have a smooth transition from operating the ISS to becoming customers on commercial stations between 2028 and 2030.
Extending operations through 2030 will continue another productive decade of research advancement and enable a seamless transition of capabilities in low-Earth orbit to one or more commercially owned and operated destinations in the late 2020s. The decision to extend operations and NASA’s recent awards to develop commercial space stations together ensure uninterrupted, continuous human presence and capabilities; both are critical facets of NASA’s International Space Station transition plan.
NASA ISS Blog
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