NASA Will Allow Private Companies to Install Modules on the ISS
NASA Director Charles Bolden announced today that private companies, like SpaceX and Boeing, may soon be able to install their own modules on the International Space Station.
The ISS has been in orbit since 1998, and is currently made up of 15 separate but connected modules. These modules were mostly built by either the U.S. or Russia, with a few built by Europe and Japan.
Many of these modules are nearing end-of-life, with both the U.S. and Russian modules only funded through 2024. To keep the ISS alive, NASA has decided to allow private companies to get in on the action.
A few months ago, NASA asked a number of private space companies how they would use the ISS if they were given a chance. And according to Director Bolden, many companies expressed a "strong desire" to get their own modules in the mix.
These modules could expand the functionality of the ISS for future NASA astronauts, or this could be NASA signaling that it's willing to turn over the ISS to a private company eventually. If this is the case, we could see the ISS used for commercial purposes, like a giant space hotel.
NASA has been relying heavily on private space companies over the past few years. SpaceX and Orbital ATK have been launching regular missions to bring cargo to the ISS, and starting next year SpaceX, Boeing, and Sierra Nevada will be transporting astronauts there as well. In a few years, they might be staying in SpaceX, Boeing, and Sierra Nevada modules as well.
Source: The White House via The Verge
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