NASA intends to purchase seats on commercial space flights

NASA has confirmed its intention to buy seats on possible private space missions, to support its “low-Earth orbit commercialisation goals”.

Specifically, it would be for short duration (taking up to 30 days) trips to the International Space Station.

“The purchase of a private astronaut mission seat will directly support NASA’s low-Earth orbit commercialisation goals by helping to lay the foundation for America to maintain a constant human presence in low-Earth orbit to be enabled by a commercial market,” said the agency in a statement.

“NASA is committed to working with our partners to return human spaceflight capability to American soil and also will keep its commitment to have an American crew member on the space station until these new capabilities are routinely available.”

Physiological profiles

While current human spaceflight missions typically last six months, NASA sees a need to use missions of varying length. It says this would help build “profiles of human physiological, behavioural, and psychological variables of importance for ensuring astronaut health and performance during future long-duration deep space missions”.

It seems such private missions may eventually be enabled by SpaceX or Boeing, but no such flights have yet been announced.

Mars

“NASA’s purchase of a seat on a future private astronaut mission of no more than four total crew members helps both foster the low-Earth orbit economy as well as provides NASA an additional way to meet its needs for research aboard the International Space Station,” it added.

“Meeting those goals further enables the agency to focus its resources on the goals of the Artemis program, including to land the first woman and next man on the Moon. This is the first phase in creating a sustainable lunar presence to prepare for future missions to Mars.”