NASA plans a ‘sustainable heartbeat’ in space after the retirement of the ISS

The International Space Station (ISS) has been home to astronauts for nearly 30 years, but the aging spacecraft is set to retire at the end of the decade, leaving a huge void in low Earth orbit. NASA hopes to fill this void with a commercial version of the ISS. Until that happens, however, the space agency is determined to maintain a human presence in the microgravity environment to stay on track for astronauts to land on Mars.

NASA was released The latest version of the “Low Earth Orbit Microgravity Strategy”, which emphasizes the need to send long-duration human missions into space after the retirement of the ISS. The space agency called its strategy a “sustained heartbeat,” an odd choice of words to convey the need for “extended flights of six months to a year to mitigate risks for future Mars visits,” NASA wrote. “Flights from 30 days to 6 months will also have a limited value,” the space agency added.

The key to these missions is the human part. “As (the ISS) transitions to future commercial space stations, NASA will maintain a consistent and continuous presence in low Earth orbit,” the report said. “This unbroken rhythm of human activity will allow NASA to reduce the risk of sending humans to Mars, preserve critical operational capabilities, maintain a steady pace of transportation, advance science, and continue to engage with commercial and international partners.”

NASA and its partners plan to leave the ISS by 2030; The space station is designed to make a fiery re-pass through where most of Earth’s atmosphere will burn off. In 2021, the space agency created the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Program to replace the ISS in the desired location it left behind. NASA is no longer building space stations. Instead, it just wants to be a customer, helping its commercial partners build and operate a space station that their astronauts can use.

Companies like Axiom Space, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman hope to replace the ISS with their own versions, but they won’t be ready for five years. Instead, NASA’s strategy for these gap years is to maintain a continued human presence in space through long-duration missions to low-Earth orbit using commercial spacecraft. The main purpose of the missions will be to continue scientific research in the microgravity environment, as well as human health research in space in preparation for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

“NASA has demonstrated that microgravity research through the (ISS) is essential to advancing knowledge of both ourselves and our planet,” the report said. “As we approach the transition from the space station to commercial platforms in low Earth orbit, NASA must enable the government to use these platforms for future research and development across a range of national goals that strengthen economies and improve the quality of life on Earth. for all people.”

The new strategy also emphasizes the need for “diversity of suppliers,” indicating that NASA wants to rely on more than just SpaceX to transport its crew and cargo into low-Earth orbit. The space agency is still there Boeing’s Starliner program certification process after a failed test flight this year.

The retirement of the ISS and subsequent transition phase reflect NASA’s transition to relying on commercial partners to maintain its presence in space.