WASHINGTON — Executives with two companies developing commercial space stations called on NASA and Congress to take fiscal and policy steps to avoid a space station gap they feared could cede leadership in low Earth orbit to China.
Speaking at a Feb. 14 hearing of the House Science Committee’s space subcommittee, representatives of Axiom Space and Voyager Space said more funding was needed to ensure a smooth transition from the ISS to commercial stations, along with policy measures to ensure the ISS does not undermine the business case for those stations.
“As we continue to build the next generation of space stations, we ask for your consideration of certain commitments to ensure CLD success,” said Dylan Taylor, chief executive of Voyager Space, referring to NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations, or CLD, program supporting development of those stations.
He identified five areas where his company sought support from the government, including a commitment to use commercial stations when available, decommissioning the ISS in 2030, adequate funding for the CLD program, addressing indemnification and liability concerns, and not compete with industry.
He emphasized the need for increased funding, but did not specify how much additional funding. “A funding increase authorized by Congress will bolster investor confidence and accelerate early investment,” he said. “Lack of investment in 2024 and 2025 would jeopardize schedules for all providers and increase the risk of a gap in U.S. human presence in low Earth orbit.”
Mary Lynne Dittmar, chief government and external relations officer at Axiom Space, also sounded a warning about a potential post-ISS gap. “If we have a gap of American presence in low Earth orbit, the only winner will be China,” she argued, by attracting users to its Tiangong space station. “An immediate course correction by Congress is needed.”
She offered nine recommendations in her prepared…
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