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⇱ Low Earth Orbit Economy - NASA

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Low Earth Orbit Economy

As the International Space Station nears the end of operations, NASA plans to transition to a new low Earth orbit model to continue leveraging microgravity benefits. Through commercial partnerships, NASA aims to maintain its leadership in microgravity research to support its exploration missions and ensure continued benefits for humanity.

👁 A starry night sky and an atmospheric glow blanket Earth's horizon in this photograph from the International Space Station orbiting 257 miles above Southeast Asia at 12:42 a.m. local time. Extending from bottom left, the brightest city lights are Singapore and Kuala Lumpur on the Malay Peninsula. At center, fishing boats and their lights dot the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. At far right, is Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Other major urban areas captured in this photograph include Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Bangkok, Thailand.

Commercial Space Frequently Asked Questions

Read through frequently asked questions about the low Earth orbit economy, commercial space stations, private astronaut missions, and collaborations with NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program.

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The Milky Way pictured from the International Space Station near the top of this long-duration photograph with a camera programmed for high sensitivity.
NASA

Commercial Space Stations

NASA is committed to maintaining continued human space operations in low Earth orbit as the agency transitions from the International Space Station to commercial space stations.

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👁 This long-duration photograph highlights the city lights of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, Earth's atmospheric glow, and star trails above taken from the International Space Station as it orbited 258 miles above.

Private Astronaut Missions

Private astronaut missions to the International Space Station help pave the way toward commercial space stations as part of NASA’s efforts to develop a thriving low Earth orbit ecosystem and marketplace and enable more nations, people, and opportunities in space than ever before.

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The Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left to right: ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Axiom Space

Commercial Use of the International Space Station

NASA is laying the foundation for America to maintain a human presence in low Earth orbit in which one day NASA will become one of many customers in a robust commercial marketplace.

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In Space Production Applications

NASA’s In Space Product Applications program is working to accelerate the development of advanced materials and products in space and leverage results from the International Space Station to grow the low Earth orbit economy and benefit life on Earth.

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View of a CFE-2 (Capillary Flow Experiment – 2) Interior Corner Flow – 8 (ICF-8) vessel set up during a test run. Liquids behave differently in space than they do on Earth, so containers that can process, hold or transport them must be designed carefully to work in microgravity.
NASA

NASA's Low Earth Orbit Microgravity Strategy

NASA’s low Earth orbit microgravity strategy builds on the agency’s extensive human spaceflight experience to advance future scientific and exploration goals and lead the next generation of human presence in low Earth orbit.

Learn More about NASA's Low Earth Orbit Microgravity Strategy
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Latest News

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NASA Seeks Industry Input on Next Phase of Commercial Space Stations

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