Exploring the Future: NASA's Vision for the Post-ISS National Laboratory

The International Space Station pictured on Nov. 8, 2021.

Credits: NASA

In a leap toward the future of space exploration, NASA has conducted a comprehensive study evaluating potential models for a national laboratory in low Earth orbit (LEO) following the retirement of the International Space Station (ISS). The study, released by NASA's Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy on December 20, offers a preliminary assessment of various options without explicitly endorsing a specific model.

This 154-page report, a product of the National Space Council's directive in its September 2022 meeting, coincides with the council's latest gathering. Focused on replacing the International Space Station National Laboratory, the report delves into six distinct models for a future national lab, utilizing facilities on commercial space stations referred to as commercial LEO destinations (CLDs) by NASA.

Diverse Models, Varied Roles

The assessed models present a spectrum of government involvement, from NASA leasing dedicated space on a commercial station to providing grants for users leasing facilities on CLDs independently. Each model was evaluated against five criteria, including NASA's needs, equity, accessibility, and scenarios of dynamic, steady, and limited growth in overall commercial LEO activities.

Remarkably, the model that emerged as the most favorable across various market scenarios was termed the "Government Research Broker." In this approach, NASA would act as a broker, facilitating flights of experiments on CLDs or other commercial spacecraft, akin to NASA's Launch Services Program for acquiring launches.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch works on the ADSEP facility on the International Space Station

NASA

No Single Model: A Unified Strategy Ahead

Despite the promising evaluation, the report refrains from explicitly recommending any particular model, emphasizing that a complete strategy for a future national laboratory may involve aspects from multiple models. "The report concludes that no one model on its own represents a complete strategy for a future national laboratory," it asserts.

Recommendations for Transition and Collaboration

In addition to model evaluation, the report provides recommendations for NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) on transitioning from the current ISS National Laboratory. It suggests collaboration with private companies to secure space on modules or spacecraft before the ISS retirement and direct purchase of data from commercial providers.

However, the shift from the ISS National Laboratory to any future model involving commercial space stations necessitates legislative changes. The report highlights the 2005 NASA authorization act, establishing a national lab using ISS resources, and the 2010 act formally allocating at least half of U.S. resources on the ISS for the lab. This allocation, the report notes, is "overly restrictive," especially in a post-ISS environment.

Furthermore, the report contemplates the potential absence of an explicitly designated national laboratory in LEO once the ISS is retired. Depending on the selected model for supporting research in LEO, the nomenclature may be removed from legislation, or the concept of a National Laboratory may evolve in a post-ISS LEO ecosystem without a government-owned platform.