NASA's Plans for New Space Station Hit Snags as Companies Withdraw Bids

NASA planned to build a new space station and decommission the aging ISS by 2030, accepting bids from 4 companies.
Northrop Grumman has now withdrawn its bid to build a free-flying station based on its Cygnus spacecraft.
Blue Origin may abandon its Orbital Reef station bid to focus on a Moon lander and lunar base infrastructure.
Axiom and Nanoracks, the other bidders, are still interested in building stations aligned with their business plans.
Even with 2 bids potentially collapsing, NASA can pivot, with other startups and SpaceX open to filling the void.

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Relevant topic timeline:

8/2/2023

Voyager and Airbus will operate Starlab private space station via “transatlantic joint venture”

Main topic: Voyager Space and Airbus Defence and Space form a joint venture for the design, build, and operation of the Starlab commercial space station. Key points: 1. Voyager Space and Airbus Defence and Space are partnering to develop the Starlab commercial space station. 2. Airbus will provide technical design support and expertise. 3. The joint venture will have a US-based entity and a European subsidiary to serve the European Space Agency (ESA) and its member state space agencies. 4. Voyager Space, Lockheed Martin, and Nanoracks plan to commence operations in 2028, three years before the decommissioning of the International Space Station (ISS). 5. NASA awarded over $400 million to private space station projects, including Voyager's, to replace the ISS. 6. European governments and taxpayers may find the project more appealing with European company involvement. 7. The goal is to build on the success of the International Space Station.

9/21/2023

NASA Seeks U.S. Partners to Build Spacecraft for ISS Retirement in 2030

NASA has issued a request for private space companies to design a spacecraft to safely deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) by 2030, in order to prevent it from falling onto populated areas. The proposed spacecraft would act as a "space tug" to lower the ISS's orbit and facilitate its reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

10/2/2023

NASA's Plans for Commercial Space Stations Face Uncertainty as Companies Change Course

NASA's plans for commercial space stations are shifting as Northrop Grumman and Blue Origin may drop out of the competition, while new entrants like Vast Space and SpaceX emerge, leaving the future of the program uncertain.

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Posted 10/3/2023, 9:52:00 PM