Możliwa jest przerwa między działaniem starej stacji a umieszczeniem nowej.
Możliwe jest także wydłużenie działania ISS.NASA acknowledges possibility of short-term post-ISS gapJeff Foust November 22, 2023
The International Space Station as seen from a Crew Dragon spacecraft in 2021. Credit: NASAWASHINGTON — While NASA seeks to maintain an uninterrupted human presence in low Earth orbit, an agency official said a short-term gap between the International Space Station and commercial successors would not be “the end of the world.” (...)
There is also some schedule flexibility in the transition between the ISS and commercial stations. McAlister noted there is a two-year overlap currently projected between the start of commercial space station operations around 2028 and the retirement of the ISS in 2030. “Less than that is certainly feasible,” he said of that overlap period. “This gives us a little bit of schedule margin.”
A third option is to extend the ISS beyond 2030, which would depend on the status of the ISS and willingness of ISS partners to continue station operations. (...)
https://spacenews.com/nasa-acknowledges-possibility-of-short-term-post-iss-gap/NASA report studies options for a future national laboratory in orbit after ISSJeff Foust December 22, 2023
The International Space Station as seen from a Crew Dragon spacecraft in 2021. Credit: NASASANTA FE, N.M. — A NASA study examined several options for continuing a national laboratory in low Earth orbit after the International Space Station but stopped short of recommending a specific option.
The study by the agency’s Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy, released by NASA Dec. 20, represents what it calls an “initial assessment” of models for a future national lab in low Earth orbit (LEO) after retirement of the ISS. The study was directed by the National Space Council at its September 2022 meeting and released to coincide with the council’s most recent meeting Dec. 20.
https://spacenews.com/nasa-report-studies-options-for-a-future-national-laboratory-in-orbit-after-iss/Program europejski LEO Cargo Return Service wkroczył w kolejną fazę.Europe seeks to emulate NASA’s revolutionary commercial cargo programSTEPHEN CLARK - 5/30/2024, 1:15 AM
European governments must commit more funding for the program to achieve its goals.The European Space Agency has awarded initial contracts to a German-based startup and one of the continent's established aerospace companies to develop spacecraft to ferry cargo to and from space stations in low-Earth orbit.
ESA announced the two 25 million euro ($27 million) contracts May 22. The Exploration Company, co-located in France and Germany, and Thales Alenia Space of Italy beat out four other companies in the competition for ESA funding through the LEO Cargo Return Service program. (...)
The Exploration Company, founded in 2021, says its Nyx cargo transporter could fly to the space station as soon as 2027. Thales Alenia Space's demonstration mission is targeted by the end of 2028, the company said in a statement. The Exploration Company plans to fly a sub-scale reentry vehicle on the first flight of the European Ariane 6 rocket in July. Thales Alenia Space hasn't built a reentry craft, but it manufactured pressure shells for several modules at the ISS.
ESA's requirements stipulate that the commercial European cargo vehicles must be able to deliver 4 metric tons of equipment to low-Earth orbit and return 2 metric tons to Earth.
ESA originally wanted to select three companies to proceed with the European cargo program. Samantha Cristoforetti, an ESA astronaut who leads the procurement effort, said only the two winners "presented a combination of work plan and financing scheme that were suitable for the purposes of this call.”
Cristoforetti told Ars that ESA received "six valid proposals" from European industry. She declined to identify the other competitors, but two of the proposals were believed to come from ArianeGroup and Rocket Factory Augsburg. (...)
"The LEO Cargo Return Service project exemplifies ESA’s commitment to ensuring Europe’s prominent role in space exploration," said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA's director of human and robotic transportation. "It prepares us for the post-ISS era, strengthening European industry’s competitiveness in low Earth orbit operations, as well as being a test case for the ESA transformation and working differently." (...)
https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/05/europe-seeks-to-emulate-nasas-revolutionary-commercial-cargo-program/https://x.com/AschbacherJosef/status/1793610125967528122ESA and Vast to study cooperation on future commercial space stationsJeff Foust June 7, 2024
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and Vast CEO Max Haot sign an agreement to study cooperation on Vast's future commercial space stations. Credit: VastORLANDO, Fla. — The European Space Agency has signed an agreement with Vast to study how the agency could use and support the company’s commercial space stations.
ESA and Vast signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) June 6 during the ILA Berlin air show, agreeing to study collaboration on the commercial space stations that Vast plans to develop, starting with the Haven-1 station Vast plans to launch in the second half of next year.
https://spacenews.com/esa-and-vast-to-study-cooperation-on-future-commercial-space-stations/Save Freedom: We must stop the destruction of the International Space StationRick Tumlinson July 2, 2024
The International Space Station, photographed in 2021. Credit: NASALast week was incredibly depressing. For anyone paying attention, it finally became apparent that, unless a dramatic change occurs after decades of service, coming events may well push an American icon into the trash heap of history.
I am, of course, speaking of NASA’s decision to hire SpaceX to dump the International Space Station on the Earth. Truth be told, this decision has put me in a quandary. The greatest exploration entity in history is hiring the best space company in history to do the stupidest thing in its history.
https://spacenews.com/save-freedom-we-must-stop-the-destruction-of-the-international-space-station/