NASA questions feasibility of ISS privatization

NASA inspector Paul Martin concludes in a report that there are quite a few drawbacks to the possible privatization of the International Space Station. It creates a number of problems, uncertainties and the need for incurring additional costs.

There are roughly two options for the US government to choose: either end funding the ISS after 2024 and leave it to the private sector, or NASA will continue to use the ISS beyond 2024 and fund it until 2028.

Earlier it appeared that the US government wants to end funding for the space station after 2024, but according to Martin, this plan will not just pass Congress unscathed. He notes that it is especially uncertain whether commercial activities in low Earth orbit will have been sufficiently achieved by then. He also wonders whether NASA is able to sufficiently reduce the costs of using the ISS and at the same time keep the station attractive for commercial parties. In addition, it is questionable whether certain technology demonstrations will be completely completed by 2024.

The other option, which continues to use the ISS beyond 2024, also poses significant challenges, Martin said. Not only does this option mean the need for ongoing, significant investment to operate and maintain the ISS, but it also involves accepting greater risks in the form of aging hardware. It is also not clear what support is still guaranteed from the other international partners. And if NASA takes the station out of orbit, there will still be insufficient clarity about the capabilities to return the colossus safely to Earth.

The support and use of the ISS costs NASA about three to four billion dollars each year, which is half of NASA’s budget for human spaceflight. Since 1993, the US government has spent approximately $87 billion on the ISS. Thanks to a budget allocated in 2014 by then-President Obama, the ISS can count on American funding until at least 2024.