For two decades, the International Space Station (ISS) has served as a vital on-orbit research station and a global symbol of international cooperation in space. Soon, though, its reign will come to an end.
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Operating the space station is a rewarding but costly endeavor—it eats up a massive chunk of NASA’s annual human spaceflight budget (operating costs shake out to roughly $3 billion per year). While the space station is currently funded until 2024, many expect its life will be extended to 2030. When the time comes to ultimately retire the space station, NASA is hoping to coordinate a smooth transition from one space station to the next.
With that in mind, on December 2 NASA selected three groups—led by Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman—to develop plans for the next generation orbital outpost. As part of NASA’s Plan for Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development, the agency will award $415.6 million dollars to be divvied up between the three groups.
“With commercial companies now providing transportation to low-Earth orbit in place, we are partnering with U.S. companies to develop the space destinations where people can visit, live, and work, enabling NASA to continue forging a path in space for the benefit of humanity while fostering commercial activity in space,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a news release. Passing off operations, maintenance and, critically, costs to commercial partners could allow the agency to focus on other goals, such as the Artemis Program and future missions to Mars.
The announcement comes on the heels of a November 30 report from NASA’s Office of Audits, which details the agency’s plans to replace the current space station. The audit assesses the current and future costs associated with keeping the ISS operational, details risks it may face in the future and evaluates NASA’s plan to increase commercialization in low-Earth orbit.
Ultimately, the goal is to have the ISS’s successor in orbit and operational by 2028 in order to provide some overlap between the two outposts. The Office of Audits report, however, stresses that reaching this goal will require a lot of work because of “limited market demand, inadequate funding, unreliable costs estimates and still-evolving requirements.”
Here’s what you need to know about each group’s designs:
Blue Origin
NASA awarded Jeff Bezos’s Kent, Washington-based company Blue Origin and the Louisville, Colorado-based space firm Sierra Space (along with partners Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering, and Arizona State University) a whopping $130 million to develop the “mixed-use space business park” Orbital Reef. The space station will be designed to support multiple activities—including research, manufacturing and tourism—across a wide variety of sectors.
Orbital Reef, designed to comfortably house ten people in multiple habitats, will be designed for both work and play, according to a press statement. Blue Origin, Boeing, and Sierra Space will be tasked with developing the station’s modules, which will include an inflatable Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) module by Sierra Space.
The team plans to launch the space station by the end of the decade.
Nanoracks
The Houston-based firm Nanoracks is working with Denver, Colorado-headquartered Voyager Space Holdings and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin to develop Starlab, a mixed-use space station. NASA awarded the team $160 million to develop their plans.
The station, which is currently scheduled to reach orbit via a single launch in 2027, will serve primarily as a research outpost (dubbed the George Washington Carver Science Park) split into four quadrants—including “a biology lab, plant habitation lab, physical science and materials research lab, and an open workbench area,” according to the release.
Starlab’s modular design—initially designed to house four astronauts—will allow additional segments to be added on as needed.
Northrop Grumman
NASA awarded Virginia’s Northrop Grumman $125.6 million for its modular, commercial outpost. At first, the modular space station—which will incorporate elements from the company’s Cygnus spacecraft, its Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) and its forthcoming Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO)—will be able to accommodate four people, the company says. Eventually, Northrop Grumman plans to expand the station's footprint to accommodate the needs of eight occupants.
There's no word yet on when the team, which also includes Huntsville, Alabama-headquartered space firm Dynetics and several other undisclosed partners, plans to launch the space station.
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Jennifer Leman is a science journalist and senior features editor at Popular Mechanics, Runner's World, and Bicycling. A graduate of the Science Communication Program at UC Santa Cruz, her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Science News and Nature. Her favorite stories illuminate Earth's many wonders and hazards.
