A U.S. Senate panel is set to review legislation next week that would extend the operational life of the NASA-run International Space Station by two years, giving private companies additional time to develop a commercial replacement.
The proposal will be taken up on March 4 by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and would amend an existing NASA authorization bill. In addition to the ISS extension, the bill would require NASA to establish a permanent base on the Moon’s surface as part of its Artemis exploration program.
The effort has bipartisan support from committee leadership, including Chairman Ted Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, and reflects growing concern in Washington over expanding space ambitions by China.
Beijing is weighing international partnerships for its Tiangong space station and has outlined plans for a crewed Moon landing around 2030, prompting U.S. lawmakers to reassess long-term space infrastructure.
NASA previously planned to retire the ISS by 2030 after more than two decades in orbit. The proposed change would extend operations until 2032, despite signs of aging such as small air leaks that have emerged in recent years.
The space agency has been funding early concepts for privately operated space stations to replace the ISS, with participation from companies including Blue Origin and Voyager. However, progress toward operational readiness has been slower than expected, raising concerns about a potential gap in U.S. crewed activity in low-Earth orbit.
To manage the station’s eventual retirement, NASA last year selected SpaceX to build a spacecraft capable of guiding the ISS into Earth’s atmosphere for a controlled re-entry, rather than attempting to preserve the structure in orbit.
Lawmakers also want to reinforce NASA’s long-term lunar strategy by formally requiring a surface base on the Moon, viewing it as a stepping stone for future missions to Mars. SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk has recently voiced support for such an approach after previously favoring direct Mars exploration.
NASA has been encouraging competition between SpaceX and Blue Origin to accelerate development of lunar landing systems under the Artemis program, as China continues to signal momentum in its own lunar plans.
