GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – It has been cruising around the Earth since November 2, 2000, housing astronauts and a multitude of science experiments. The International Space Station also was a point of diplomatic cooperation between the U.S., Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada. It was set to be decommissioned in the latter half of 2030, but a recent bill passed by Congress has pushed that date back two years.
China continues to rapidly develop their space capabilities and goals. The U.S.’s long-term mission of sending people to Mars is one that China is aiming for as well. In order for a Mars mission to occur, a refueling base on the moon is needed.
Keeping the ISS will allow the U.S. to maintain a foothold in low-Earth orbit while private companies continue to develop space stations of their own. But the bill does even more than that. It authorizes NASA to develop and build a lunar base that can be inhabited by astronauts and will eventually act as the refueling station for eventual Mars missions.
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