Other ISS partners start planning for extension to 2030

The White House’s decision to extend operations of the International Space Station through the end of the decade is a “trigger” for other partners to make their own plans to continue participation in the station.

NASA announced Dec. 31 that the Biden administration agreed to continue operations of the ISS to 2030. Federal law, last updated in 2015, authorized operations of the station through at least 2024.

The announcement, while not unexpected, still requires other ISS partners to agree to continue operations of the station after 2024. Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency, tweeted Dec. 31 that he welcomed the decision and would submit a formal proposal to ESA’s member states for the agency “to continue until 2030, as well.”

Officials with two other ISS partners said NASA’s announcement will set in motion efforts in their countries to formally decide to continue participation on the station.

“We’re very happy to see the announcement from the U.S. side. That’s helping the decision process,” said Christian Lange, director of space exploration planning, coordination and advanced concepts at the Canadian Space Agency, during a virtual panel discussion at the AIAA SciTech Forum Jan. 6.

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