The International Space Station may continue its operations beyond 2030, as a senior NASA official stated there are no major concerns about its viability after the current agreement ends in six years.”There’s nothing magical that happens in 2030,” according to Steve Stich, the manager of NASA’s commercial crew program, who made the statement during a livestreamed briefing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Stich added that NASA is monitoring the development of commercial space stations that could support agency astronauts and scientific research in the 2030s. He mentioned that NASA aims to transition the ISS out of operation once the commercial stations are ready.Related: Watch balloon-like space station module explode (on purpose) during 1st full-scale burst testHowever, keeping the aging ISS operational beyond 2030 would require sustained funding, especially considering NASA’s plans for crewed moon missions as part of the Artemis program and Artemis Accords involving over 30 countries. Additionally, political considerations, such as Russia’s potential extension of its participation beyond 2028, also play a significant role. Despite the strained relations between the United States and Russia, NASA has emphasized that the ISS remains unaffected by the conflict in Ukraine, although there have been disputes over anti-Ukraine propaganda displayed by cosmonauts on the station.Russia’s executive director of human spaceflight programs, Sergei Krikalev, expressed openness to the idea of extending the ISS’s operational timeline. He highlighted that the decision to set the 2028 deadline was based on budgetary considerations, and noted that the possibility of extending the station’s operational life would be based on ongoing assessments and tests. NASA has emphasized that the future of low Earth orbit work after the ISS will be driven by commercial entities, and multiple U.S. teams have received funding to work on early-stage commercial space station development. There are, however, potential risks to consider, such as project delays and cost overruns, high inflation, and potential shifts in space policy due to the U.S. election year.NASA has been engaged in discussions at senior levels to ensure that commercial vendors adhere to human rating standards to safely accommodate astronauts. The agency has also solicited industry feedback on the requirements for new commercial space stations, particularly in relation to human rating standards. These efforts align with recommendations from the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel to ensure a comprehensive understanding of astronaut safety guidelines.
