Washington : NASA has commissioned three companies to develop designs for new commercial space stations, said dpa international.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin firm is among them, and will receive 130 million dollars. Texas firm Nanoracks will get 160 million dollars and Virginia’s Northrop Grumman 125.6 million dollars, NASA said Thursday.
NASA said it was seeking to transition from the International Space Station (ISS) to other platforms and thereby maintain an “uninterrupted US presence in low-Earth orbit.”
“With commercial companies now providing transportation to low-Earth orbit in place, we are partnering with US companies to develop the space destinations where people can visit, live, and work, enabling NASA to continue forging a path in space for the benefit of humanity while fostering commercial activity in space,” NASA chief Bill Nelson said.
Blue Origin announced several weeks ago that it was working on its own space station, called Orbital Reef, with partners including Boeing.
The largest and longest-operating space station to date is the ISS, which is operated by NASA and partner agencies from around the world.
It has been continuously inhabited by various astronauts since 2000.
A final decision on when the ISS will end its operations has not yet been made.
The station, which is now 23 years old, has recently struggled with problems, such as fires and concerns about air leaks.
Talks are currently underway to extend the station’s operating life beyond 2024.
