"International Space Station Should Be Maintained in Low Earth Orbit Even After Its Lifespan"
"Warning: Transferring Low Earth Orbit to China Will Bring Great Tragedy"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] NASA Administrator warned the U.S. Congress that China's construction of a space station could threaten U.S. space policy and argued that the International Space Station (ISS), currently planned to cease operations after 2030, should continue to be operated in low Earth orbit to respond to this threat.
According to foreign media including the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong on the 24th, Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator, appeared before the U.S. Congress the previous day (local time) for a hearing on NASA's lunar exploration project, Artemis. He stated, "China is rapidly advancing plans to build its own space station by 2022, which could threaten U.S. space policy and dominance in space," and warned, "Abandoning low Earth orbit (160?2000 km) and allowing it to fall under China's control could be a tragedy."
Administrator Bridenstine emphasized, "To respond to this, commercialization of low Earth orbit is essential. Regarding the ISS, which is planned to operate until 2030, it is necessary to maintain it in low Earth orbit even after its planned end of service to ensure the U.S. continues to hold an advantage in low Earth orbit." NASA must take the lead in commercializing low Earth orbit to counter China's space threat and has requested $150 million in funding for low Earth orbit commercialization in the fiscal year 2021 budget proposal submitted to Congress.
The ISS, currently orbiting at about 420 km altitude, was constructed in 1998 through cooperation among the U.S., Russia, Japan, Europe, and Canada. The ISS is planned to operate until 2030. China plans to build its own space station by 2022 and continues to test-launch rockets capable of carrying large payloads, such as the Changzheng 5 rocket, this year.
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