NASA Wants to Support Multiple Manned Space Stations After ISS Retirement

With the International Space Station nearing its planned retirement date at the end of the decade, NASA is turning to the orbital space station whiteboard. On Friday, it released a draft proposal seeking commercial partners for future manned stations. The idea is for NASA to support these commercial ventures, with any such stations required to provide everything a four-person crew might need for one-month stays.

NASA has been working on plans for a post-ISS future for some time now, and outlined early proposals last year where it discussed the potential for a range of commercial space stations from private enterprises. The new announcement for partnership proposal, or AFPP, is the next step in that venture, with NASA now seeking comments on its draft, including proposals for potential manned space stations NASA can help to build and maintain moving forward.

NASA was originally planning at least one station manned by its ...