NASA Opens International Space Station To Private Astronauts For USD 35,000

WASHINGTON: NASA has announced that it would open the International Space Station to private individuals and more commercial business at roughly USD 35,000 (approx. Rs 26 lakh) per night per astronaut.

NASA said it is opening the International Space Station for commercial business so U.S. industry innovation and ingenuity can accelerate a thriving commercial economy in low-Earth orbit.

The space agency expects to accommodate two short-term private astronaut visits to the space station every year. The spacecraft will be designed in partnership with Boeing and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, known as the Commercial Crew Program. The missions can last as long as 30 night.

NASA said that it will leve o the Commercial crew Program to plan trips and provide training to private astronauts in space.

Commercial businesses willing to conduct business on the ISS must require a zero-gravity environment along with a connection to NASA's mission as well as contribute to the sustainability of a new economy.

More than 50 companies already are conducting commercial research and development on the space station via the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory, and their results are yielding great promise. In addition, NASA has worked with 10 different companies to install more than 14 commercial facilities on the station that support research and development projects for NASA and the ISS National Lab.

However, President Donald Trump said NASA must focus on Mars rather than on Moon.

"For all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago. They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!," Trump had tweeted.