The Trump administration is looking to transform the International Space Station into a private real estate venture after federal funding is pulled from 2025, according to a report.
“The decision to end direct federal support for the ISS in 2025 does not imply that the platform itself will be deorbited at that time — it is possible that industry could continue to operate certain elements or capabilities of the ISS as part of a future commercial platform,” an internal NASA document obtained by the Washington Post reads.
“NASA will expand international and commercial partnerships over the next seven years in order to ensure continued human access to and presence in low Earth orbit,” the report continues.
But the document does not specify what private enterprise might do with the station nor does it identify any company interested in taking such an initiative, per the Post.
The White House budget request, due to be released Monday, is expected to propose $150 million be allocated in fiscal year 2019 and beyond “to enable the development and maturation of commercial entities and capabilities which will ensure that commercial successors to the ISS — potentially including elements of the ISS — are operational when they are needed,” the Post reports.
The move follows similar ones taken under the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama to encourage public-private partnerships within low Earth orbit, allowing NASA to concentrate on efforts to explore deep space.
The plan requires approval from lawmakers on Capitol Hill and may also face resistance given the level of multinational cooperation involved in operating the orbiting laboratory.
