NASA to Buy a New Space Station. Price Tag: $34.1 Billion
Key PointsNASA has invited space companies to bid to build an International Space Station replacement.
The U.S. space agency, NASA, is set to award a contract worth $34.1 billion to build a new space station, with an initial commitment of $100 million for phase 1, design, engineering, and development. This new station, privately owned but leased to NASA, could be operational for 15 years, ending in April 2042. NASA expects to pay at least $850 million to SpaceX for the deorbiting of the International Space Station (ISS) once it retires after 2030.
NASA has released its Request for Proposals (RFP), with a deadline of Dec. 8 for bidders to submit proposals. The chosen team will receive funding for phases 1 through 3, involving construction, certification, and mission operations. The total funding includes $1.85 billion from four crewed missions and eight supply shipments over the first four years.
Axiom Space, Blue Origin-led Orbital Reef, Starlab, and Vast are among the teams vying for the contract. Starlab, a consortium of publicly traded companies, has the largest and best-funded team, making it a potential winner. If successful, the winner could receive the entire $34.1 billion contract, with potential for additional services and special studies creating supplementary revenue streams.
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