By Micah Jonah, February 26, 2026
A US Senate committee is set to consider legislation next week that would extend the operational life of the International Space Station by two years, require NASA to establish a permanent base on the moon.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will review proposed amendments to a NASA authorization bill on March 4. The changes include extending the retirement date of the International Space Station from 2030 to 2032, giving private companies more time to develop commercial replacements.
The extension has bipartisan backing from committee chair Ted Cruz and ranking member Maria Cantwell. Lawmakers say the move is partly aimed at countering China’s growing presence in space, as Beijing advances work on its Tiangong and plans for a crewed moon landing by 2030.
NASA has been funding early stage concepts for commercial space stations, with companies such as Blue Origin and Voyager Space involved. However, concerns remain about whether a replacement will be ready before the ISS is retired, potentially creating a gap in US human spaceflight operations in low Earth orbit.
The agency previously awarded an $843 million contract to SpaceX to build a spacecraft capable of safely deorbiting the ISS at the end of its service life, opting against preserving the aging structure due to safety and cost concerns.
The proposed legislation would also mandate that NASA build a base on the moon’s surface as part of its Artemis program, reinforcing long term ambitions for lunar exploration and eventual missions to Mars. SpaceX is developing its Starship rocket as a lunar lander for Artemis, while Blue Origin is working on its Blue Moon lander.
NASA has recently encouraged competition between the two companies to accelerate development timelines, amid increasing geopolitical competition in space exploration.
