Space Station Costing 280 Billion Won Just for Building Toilets... US Overreaches as China Steps In

International Space Station (ISS). [Photo by NASA website capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] The U.S. government has announced that it will extend the operation of the International Space Station (ISS), originally scheduled until 2024, until 2030.

On the 1st, NASA's website reported that NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated that the Biden administration has committed to continuing ISS operations until 2030. This decision comes as China aims to complete its independently developed Tiangong space station by the end of this year and continues to launch cargo and crewed spacecraft.

Previously, China had hoped that if the ISS were only operated until 2024, it would become the only country with a space station in Earth's orbit. However, Administrator Nelson emphasized in this announcement that "as more and more countries become active in space, it is more important than ever for the U.S. to lead the world in establishing regulations for the peaceful and responsible use of space and expanding international alliances."

Evaluating the achievements of the ISS over the past 20 years, he stated that this decision will "enhance innovation and competitiveness, advance research that will send women and people of color to the Moon for the first time through NASA programs, and lay the foundation for sending humanity to Mars for the first time." He added that the extension of ISS operations is also expected to facilitate a smooth transition to commercial space stations in the late 2020s.

However, some voices have expressed concerns about the maintenance costs of the ISS. According to NASA, the ISS required enormous investment, including approximately 280 billion KRW spent solely on installing restrooms during construction, and its operation currently costs between 3 billion and 4 billion USD annually (approximately 3.5 trillion to 4.72 trillion KRW).

Meanwhile, with this extension decision, the U.S. plans to continue research cooperation not only with Europe, Japan, and Canada but also with Russia, which has recently been in opposition to the U.S. in the space sector.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.