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The International Space Station (ISS) was first launched in 1998, only it took a number of years and multiple launches to get all the pieces in identify. The station currently houses a crew of 6, and will go on to do then for a few more than years. The ISS volition be retired sometime in the 2020s, perhaps as belatedly as 2028. What should we do with it and then? The plan is to de-orbit it over the ocean and allow it burn upwards, but a private space house called Precept is proposing cannibalizing the ISS to reuse some of those parts when the time comes.

We've talked virtually Axiom in the past — it seems like one of the well-nigh viable private space station projects, in part considering its CEO is Michael Suffredini, the onetime NASA programme manager of the ISS. When terminal we heard from Axiom, it was commencement discussions with NASA to send a new module up to the ISS. The creatively named Module 1 would be the first sizable expansion of the ISS'south pressurized space in years. The design includes living space for as many every bit 7 boosted astronauts. Module 1 would dock to the mating adapter installed for the Commercial Crew Program, but it would have a indistinguishable adapter on lath for capsules from SpaceX and Boeing to dock.

The plan NASA and Precept are currently investigating would see Precept's module spend several years docked to the ISS to get it up and running (see beneath). One benefit cited is that Module 1 could be very useful while it'southward docked to the ISS. It volition accept a more efficient design that requires fewer spacewalks, and the computers will be much more than advanced than the old ones on the ISS. When the ISS is retired, Module 1 could detach and be linked up with other modules transport upwardly by Axiom.

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The new twist is the proposal from Axiom'south vice-president of strategic evolution that Axiom could accept some $.25 of the ISS with them when Module 1 goes its own way. The company is particularly interested in a storage module, the Canadarm2 (a robotic arm outside the station pictured at the top), and the cupola module (the one with the canopy window pointed at World).

Axiom stresses this program is not officially on the tablet yet. NASA has yet to agree to the ambitious Module one docking programme in the beginning place. A feasibility study is currently underway, and Axiom expects it to be consummate in the next few months. At that point, information technology might be time to starting time asking for hand-me-downwardly parts from the ISS.