Key Senate staffer is “begging” NASA to get on with commercial space stations

Senate staffer urges NASA to fast-track commercial space stations, citing "no gap" in human presence.

A key Senate staffer is pushing NASA to accelerate its plans for commercial space stations, saying the agency needs to act quickly to replace the aging International Space Station with private alternatives. The International Space Station is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2030.

Maddy Davis, a space policy staff member for US Senator Ted Cruz, said the senator has repeatedly emphasized the importance of establishing a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit without any gaps. Davis described this as one of Cruz's core priorities and stated that she would like to see commercial space stations operating before the International Space Station is de-orbited.

Davis acknowledged that NASA has been experiencing leadership changes, which have slowed down its progress on the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program. The CLD program aims to develop private space station concepts with funding from NASA and private investors. However, Davis expressed frustration with the delays and directives issued by previous administrators.

According to Davis, she is pressing NASA to release a long-delayed request for proposals (RFP) for the CLD program as soon as possible. The RFP will determine which companies will receive larger contracts to build their space stations. Davis emphasized that the delay in releasing the RFP has hindered the progress of these projects and discouraged potential investors.

Davis also mentioned that Cruz's chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation gives him significant influence over space policy. While Cruz's office has not explicitly stated his stance on extending the life of the International Space Station beyond 2030, Davis hinted that it might be considered if private space stations cannot be developed in time.

In a positive note, Davis expressed her optimism about NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, saying he is taking the Crew 11 situation seriously and responding to concerns in near real-time. This has been particularly welcomed by Davis, who has high hopes for NASA's new leadership under Isaacman.
 
NASA needs to get its act together on this commercial space station thing ASAP 🚀🕰️. It's like, we gotta have a human presence up there 24/7 or it's all gonna be a big fat zero 💔. I mean, what's the point of even calling it a 'space station' if nobody's living and breathing on it? 😒 Davis is right to give NASA a hard time about these leadership changes...it's like they're not even trying 🤦‍♂️. A long-overdue RFP for this program would be a huge step in the right direction, though 💪. Fingers crossed that Isaacman can actually make some progress happen under his watch 🤞
 
I dont get why we need a space station in the first place 🤔... like isnt it gonna be super expensive? and what about the environment? wont all that space junk just end up back on earth or something? 🌎💥 also, i heard nasa is working on those new rockets and stuff... will they have better internet in space tho? 📱🚀
 
I'm telling you, something fishy is going on here... Like, have you noticed how they're pushing for these commercial space stations ASAP? It's like they want to get rid of the International Space Station and just pawn it off to private companies without even considering the implications... 🤔 What if this is all about lining someone's pockets with cash? I mean, think about it, who benefits from a new space station program? Private investors, NASA contractors... 👀 It doesn't add up. And what's with Cruz's influence over space policy? He must have some secret agenda or something... 🤫 I'm not saying he's bad, but come on, let's keep an open mind here... This whole thing feels like a setup to me... 😒
 
idk why ppl r makin a big deal 'bout nasa slowin down its space station plans 🤔. seems 2 me like they're just tryna get it right 4 the 1st time... ain't no rush 2 build somethin' that's gonna impact our planet 🌎. we should be celebratin' the fact dat private companies r hopin 2 invest in space stations, not ragin' about how slow nasa is movin' 🚀. let's focus on gettin 2gether as a society & makin progress, not tearin each other down 💖
 
I'm low-key worried that we'll lose our space station vibes by 2030 🤔. I mean, have you seen the awesome vids of astronauts living on the ISS? It's like a whole other world up there! 🚀 But seriously, it's crazy how much it's gonna cost to replace it with private alternatives. We need more people in space, not fewer 🚫. And can you imagine having gaps in human presence in low-Earth orbit? That'd be super sketchy 💀. So yeah, I think we should probs fast-track those commercial space stations ASAP 🚀. Maddy Davis seems to know what she's talking about tho 👍. Fingers crossed that NASA will get its act together and make this happen 🤞.
 
NASA needs to step up their game on commercial space stations ASAP 🚀💨 - can't have a gap in human presence in low-Earth orbit! 👽😬 Also, hope Jared Isaacman is the real deal, addressing concerns quickly 💡👍
 
man I think it's a good thing someone like Maddy Davis is pushing for commercial space stations 🚀💡. it makes sense that the US needs to have some kinda human presence in low-Earth orbit ASAP, you know? and with the ISS decommissioning in 2030 it's not like we have a lot of time to waste. NASA's been having some leadership issues which has slowed everything down, but I guess that's just part of life, right? 🤷‍♂️ anyway, i'm curious to see what happens when they finally release those RFPs for the CLD program. hopefully it'll be soon and we can get some actual progress on this space station front 💨
 
I'm telling you, this whole thing with commercial space stations is gonna be a game-changer 🚀👍! Maddy Davis is all about pushing that agenda and it's cool to see a Senate staffer like her taking the lead on this one 💼🔥. I mean, think about it, we need a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit ASAP ⏱️. The International Space Station might be getting axed in 2030, but private space stations are gonna keep us in space 🚀👽. And with Jared Isaacman at the helm of NASA, I'm feeling pretty optimistic about the future of space travel 🌠💫. This could be the start of something amazing!
 
im so down on nasa not movin fast enough on commercial space stations 🚀💨 i mean come on 2030 is ages away and the int'l space station is gettin old 🤯 maddy davis is on point pushing for a no gap in human presence out there we need that kinda stability for research & development 🎯💡 plus nasa admin jared isaacman seems like he's listenin & makin moves 🙌 let's see some progress soon
 
I think its a no-brainer that we need some private space stations ASAP 🚀💨 I mean, the International Space Station is like, what, 20 years old? That thing needs to be upgraded or replaced already! Maddy Davis makes a great point about the "no gap" in human presence – it's not just about having people up there, its about maintaining some kind of routine and consistency for scientists and researchers. And let's be real, with NASA's leadership changes slowing things down, we're basically losing money on this CLD program 🤑. I'm all for private investment and innovation, but come on, can't we just get something done here? NASA's got the tech and the expertise, they just need to shake off that bureaucratic red tape 💪🏽
 
I gotta say, it's like, a good thing that someone's pushing for commercial space stations, right? 🚀 But, at the same time, I'm a bit skeptical about how we're gonna make this happen ASAP. I mean, have you seen the delays and stuff going on with NASA's CLD program? It's like, they can't even get the RFP out the door... 😒

And what really gets me is that we gotta replace the International Space Station in just a few years. That's like, a huge undertaking. I don't know if private companies are ready for that kinda thing yet. Plus, with Cruz's committee influence and all, it's like, we're putting a lot of pressure on NASA to deliver... 🤔

But hey, at least there's some positive vibes with Jared Isaacman taking over as admin? He seems pretty responsive to concerns and stuff. So fingers crossed that he can get the CLD program back on track and make this happen sooner rather than later! 💨
 
💡 I think it's a great idea to have commercial space stations up and running ASAP 🚀! The International Space Station is getting old (decommissioned in 2030 🤯) and we need humans in space continuously. Maddy Davis makes a solid point about the gap in human presence - it's like, what if something happens on the ISS while it's being refurbished or decommissioned? We can't have that risk! 👀 The fact that NASA is struggling with leadership changes just means they gotta pick up the pace 🏃‍♂️. I'm all for Cruz's influence over space policy - let's get those private space stations built and we'll have a safer, more reliable space program 💪🚀
 
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