The International Space Station: Facts, history and tracking NASA and Axiom ink deal for 1st private astronaut mission to space station "For the second phase of NASA’s approach to a transition toward CLDs, the agency intends to certify for NASA crewmember use CLDs from these and potential other entrants, and ultimately, purchase services from destination providers for crew to use when available." "The first phase is expected to continue through 2025," the report states. NASA's agreements with Blue Origin, Nanoracks, Northrop Grumman and Axiom represent the first phase of a planned two-phase effort to spur the development of commercial low-Earth orbit destinations (CLD) during the 2020s, according to the new 24-page document (opens in new tab), which is called "International Space Station Transition Report."
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Such work is needed to prepare for ambitious efforts like a crewed missions to Mars, which NASA aims to pull off in the 2030s. The agency has said that it wants at least one of these private outposts to be up and running before the ISS is decommissioned, so that there's no gap in orbital research. These modules will eventually detach from the orbiting lab, forming a privately operated "free flyer" in orbit. NASA also holds a separate agreement with Houston-based company Axiom Space, which will launch multiple modules to the International Space Station (ISS) starting in late 2024. For example, in December 2021, the agency awarded a total of $415 million to three companies - Blue Origin, Nanoracks and Northrop Grumman - that are leading efforts to build private space stations in Earth orbit. NASA has been laying the groundwork for that transition for some time now.
![future international space station future international space station](https://www.aerotime.aero/upload/files/view_of_earth_from_the_iss.jpg)
"We look forward to maximizing these returns from the space station through 2030 while planning for transition to commercial space destinations that will follow." "This third decade is one of results, building on our successful global partnership to verify exploration and human research technologies to support deep space exploration, continue to return medical and environmental benefits to humanity, and lay the groundwork for a commercial future in low-Earth orbit," Gatens added.