NASA is about to let private companies make movies on the International Space Station
Prepare to blast off. Yes, that means you.
NASA will soon start letting commercial businesses use the International Space Station, it announced Friday. That means private astronauts will be able to test products, conduct research, and even make movies in the zero-gravity environment.
Unlike Russia, NASA has long resisted letting anyone using its side of the ISS for commercial purposes. That changed last August when administrator Jim Bridenstine started looking into how business revenue could offset NASA mission costs. After all, it costs NASA between $3 and $4 billion just to operate the ISS each year, The Verge notes. So with its Friday announcement, NASA also released preliminary pricing for cargo storage and ISS facilities usage, with a one-night stay costing about $35,000.
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A private trip to the ISS also comes with some strict limitations. Just five percent of NASA's allocated crew resources and cargo capability, as well as 175 kg of cargo launch capability, will be set aside for private use each year. Private missions for now will be limited to two per year, and they can last up to 30 days. That means there will be stiff competition for the spots, and with scientific projects getting a priority treatment, it'll probably be a while before we see a real zero-gravity sequel to Gravity.
In the meantime, NASA is also working on sending the first woman and another man to the moon by 2024, and says American companies will help NASA maintain a "sustainable presence" there. NASA has also said it would eventually like private companies take over the ISS full-time to cut those massive operating costs.
Read all of NASA's plan here.
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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
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