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Hovering over NASA’s plan is the question of how long the space station will be habitable. NASA said it had briefed its international partners - space agencies from Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada - on the plan and that all resources involved would come from the U.S.

#Nasa picture of the day for tablets free

“Now NASA’s finding itself in a similar situation where it needs to free up money … to focus on gateway and Artemis lunar plans, and at least at this point, it’s not getting much of an increase from Congress.” “Russia embraced the concept of flying private astronauts because they needed the money,” she said. NASA’s move into this market is “about 20 years too late,” said Laura Forczyk, owner of space consulting firm Astralytical. Smaller fees include use of power and data.Īllowing paying tourists to visit the space station is not unprecedented - the Russian space agency has transported a handful of private astronauts over the years through a company called Space Adventures. In addition to the $58-million seat cost, tourists will be charged $11,250 per day for use of the station’s life support system and toilet crew supplies, including food, air and medical supplies, would cost $22,500 per day. Those vehicles can now also be used for the twice-yearly private astronaut missions. are in the latter stages of testing and developing spacecraft that will take NASA astronauts there.

currently transport supplies for NASA to the space station, and SpaceX and Boeing Co. Hawthorne-based SpaceX and Northrop Grumman Corp. NASA has increasingly relied on commercial companies to handle tasks the agency used to take the lead on. Jacksonville, Fla.-based Made in Space has made optical-fiber cables on the station, taking advantage of microgravity to help prevent manufacturing flaws. Several years ago, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly conducted an experiment on the station to investigate how medicine tablets dissolve. Several industries have already dabbled in research aboard the space station. Although expanded commercialization has been discussed for years, such a plan represents a change in the program’s status quo, said Marco Caceres, senior space analyst at market research firm Teal Group. That, in turn, could shift funds toward the moon mission, NASA Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWit said during the news conference.įor almost two decades since it was first occupied in 2000, the International Space Station has served as a continuously occupied hub for scientific and commercial research and development. Revenue generated by a larger commercial presence might offset NASA’s cost to operate and support the space station, which totals about $3 billion to $4 billion each year, according to a NASA Office of Inspector General report. The move could help NASA raise money as it looks to focus its resources beyond low-Earth orbit - where the space station is located - and toward its plan to send U.S. Two paying space tourists could begin visits of up to 30 days as soon as 2020, NASA officials said at a news conference Friday in New York. NASA estimated a trip would cost a private astronaut $58 million, with additional estimated $35,000 charges for each day spent on the space station. NASA laid out a plan Friday to open the International Space Station to expanded commercial activities, including space tourism.