Congress Extends ISS, Tells NASA To Get Moving On Private Space Stations (arstechnica.com)
- Reference: 0180915172
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/03/05/2248235/congress-extends-iss-tells-nasa-to-get-moving-on-private-space-stations
- Source link: https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/03/congress-steps-up-pressure-on-nasa-to-support-private-space-stations/
> Regarding NASA's support for the development of commercial space stations, the bill mandates the following, within specified periods, of passage of the law:
>
> - Within 60 days, publicly release the requirements for commercial space stations in low-Earth orbit
> - Within 90 days, release the final "request for proposals" to solicit industry responses
> - Within 180 days, enter into contracts with "two or more" commercial providers for such stations
>
> Cruz is trying to inject urgency into NASA as several private companies -- including Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Vast, and Voyager -- are finalizing designs for space stations. All have expressed a desire for clarity from NASA on how long the space agency would like its astronauts to stay on board, the types of scientific equipment needed, and much more. These are known as "requirements" in NASA parlance.
>
> [...] Cruz and other senators on the committee appear to share those concerns, as their legislation extends the International Space Station's lifespan from 2030 to 2032 (an extension must still be approved by international partners, including Russia). Moreover, the authorization bill states, "The Administrator shall not initiate the de-orbit of the ISS until the date on which a commercial low-Earth orbit destination has reached an initial operational capability." With this legislation, the U.S. Senate is making clear that it views a permanent human presence in low-Earth orbit as a high priority. This version of the authorization legislation must still be passed by the full Senate and work its way through the House of Representatives.
[1] https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S._933_Cruz-Cantwell_Substitute__as_modified_.pdf
[2] https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/03/congress-steps-up-pressure-on-nasa-to-support-private-space-stations/
Space civilizations needed (Score:2)
The Earth has started to suck. People are too tribalist and idiotic. The only temporary escape is space colonies. But what's going to happen though when "nations" start claiming entire zones of space? Fuck that. Tribalism must end.
Re: (Score:1)
Give it about 11 minutes after the first space colony launches. The people from New Plymouth Crater will insist they’re nothing like those oxygen-stealing freeloaders from Beta Dome. The proud citizens of the Glorious Republic of Elon’s Folly will claim the ice mines of Upper Crater 7 as their sacred ancestral vacuum. Meanwhile the Free Asteroid Commune of Rock #482B will blockade shipping because the Jovian Belt Confederation insulted their flag.
Re: (Score:2)
> The Earth has started to suck. People are too tribalist and idiotic. The only temporary escape is space colonies. But what's going to happen though when "nations" start claiming entire zones of space? Fuck that. Tribalism must end.
Why? Because you think humans suck at ironically predicting their own fate?
Might as well sit back and accept the fact that Star Wars is gonna happen, while feeling confidently depressed that it might not be a meatsack-based battle, no thanks to that assholes prophesizing about our demise via Skynet. (Side note: If humanity is going down, make better fucking names already. Beaten by a “Claude”? Fucking hell.)
Re: Space civilizations needed (Score:2)
The Earth has started to suck.
Also vacuum around ISS sucks.... although in a different way.
Re: (Score:2)
> We should be ending the ISS, NASA needs the cash for other, far more important projects.
But without ISS, how will those poor defense contractors earn their corporate welfare? Won't someone think of the corporations?
Re: (Score:2)
>> We should be ending the ISS, NASA needs the cash for other, far more important projects.
> Before the taxpayers hand over another trillion or seven to the agency that burns dollars like they were reentering an atmosphere, care to justify any of those far more important projects with valid needs and budgets? Say, compared to SpaceX?
> Those doing it better and cheaper, isn’t up for debate anymore. Political or otherwise. The ISS needs to be decommissioned. Along with ancient ideologies about funding space stations.
Why send people to space? (Score:1)
Please need food, water, and air. What a pain! Just send AI. All they need is solar, and they're PhD geniuses, every one of them. That dREO Speedwagon guy, or whatever his name is, said so in a couple blog posts, so it must be true. Why, the other day, my friend said that something took only one day and sixteen thousand kWh and making all new computers super expensive to figure out something on Linux with the help of Claude. My friend, who barely knows Linux, would have taken a week to do the same, an
Totally insane (Score:2)
So the industry has to respond, and NASA has to respond to them within the 90 days between the proposal and the contract, without any incentive for the industry to provide a serious proposal. Apart from all the safety regulations (and they are many and very detailed), I would add the requirement that the contractor could not be on the stock market. You don't want the value human lives to compete with the profit margin of the shareholders. And I am not only speaking of the astronauts here. Just try to imagin
I'm a bit surprised (Score:2, Funny)
I didn't think Ted Cruz realized the earth was round.