The US government is expanding ISS operations

NASA Director Bill Nelson announced on December 31, 2021 that the US Biden-Harris administration had decided to extend the operations of the International Space Station (ISS) until 2030. To this end, the United States will continue to conduct exciting research in this unique orbital laboratory in collaboration with international partners in Europe (ESA), Japan (JAXA), Canada (CSA), and Russia (Roscosmos). Of this decade.

“The International Space Station is a beacon of peaceful international scientific cooperation and has brought great scientific, educational and technological advances for the benefit of mankind for more than 20 years. Continue,” Nelson said. “The continued involvement of the United States in the ISS will enhance innovation and competitiveness, improve the research and technology needed to send the first woman and the first person to the moon under NASA’s Artemis program, and pave the way for the transmission of the first humans to Mars. More important than ever, the United States continues to lead the way in setting up and setting standards for the peaceful and responsible use of space. “

For the past two decades, the United States has constantly put humans in orbit to test technologies, conduct scientific research, and develop the skills needed to explore more than ever before. The unique Micro Gravity Laboratory has conducted more than 3,000 studies by more than 4,200 researchers worldwide and has made tremendous scientific, educational and technological advances that will benefit the people of the planet. Nearly 110 countries and territories participate in in-station activities at the station, including more than 1,500,000 students per year in STEM activities.

The instruments in the ISS, along with instruments that fly freely in other orbits, help to better understand the relationship between carbon and climate at different time scales to measure drought pressures and forest health. The use of these and other climate-related tools at the end of this decade will greatly improve our understanding of the climate cycle.

Extending operations to 2030 will continue another productive decade of research progress and enable seamless transition from Earth’s low orbital capabilities to one or more business locations by the end of 2020. NASA’s latest awards for decision to extend operations and business development Space stations combine to provide uninterrupted, continuous human presence and capability; Both are key features of NASA’s transformation plan for the International Space Station.

Source: NASA