NASA chief Jim Bridenstine told lawmakers Wednesday that it is important for the United States to maintain its presence in Earth orbit after the International Space Station is dismantled’ so that China does not have a strategic advantage.
The first part of the ISS was launched’ in
1998 and has been permanent since 2000.
The station, which serves as space
science lab and is a partnership between the United States, Russia, Japan,
Europe and Canada is expected’ to be operational by 2030.
"Let me tell you something that
worries me a lot - and that the day is coming when the International Space The station will come to the end of its useful life," Bridenstine said.
"In order for the United States to be
able to be in low-Earth orbit, we must be prepared for what lies ahead,"
he added.
To that end, NASA has requested 150 150
million for the fiscal year 2021 to help commercialize Earth's orbit, defined
as 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) or more above the Earth's surface. not
enough.
"We want to see a private partnership
where NASA can deal with commercial space station providers so that we can
maintain a permanent indiscriminate presence in low Earth orbit,"
Bernstein said.
"I don't think it's in the nation's
interest to build a second international space station - I think it's in the
nation's interest to support the commercial industry, where NASA is a
consumer."
Bernstein warned lawmakers that it was
crucial to maintaining US space supremacy over the planned Chinese space the station, which Beijing hopes will be operational by 2022.
The station is called’ Tiangong, meaning
Heavenly Palace, and in June Chinese state media announced that it was
partnering with 23 institutions from 17 countries to conduct scientific
experiments on board.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, these
countries include France, Germany and Japan, as well as developed and
developing countries such as Kenya and Peru.
"China is rapidly building what it
calls the 'Chinese International Space Station,' and they are rapidly marketing
this space station to our international space partners," said Bridenstine.
"It would be a tragedy if, after all
this time and all this effort, we give up the low orbit of the earth and take
over this area."
He explained that the micro-gravity of ISS
offers tremendous potential for scientific development, from innovations in
pharmaceuticals to the printing of 3D human organs, to the creation of
artificial retinas, to the treatment of people with macular degeneration.
Bernstein said that to fund NASA, companies
needed to pay to set up a space station, which would have one of several users
to reduce its own costs.
"After all, this area should not be
transferred to another country in which we have no interests," he added.
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