NASA has finally released a critical planning document for private space stations in low-Earth orbit. The draft Request for Proposals (RFP) outlines what the agency expects from US companies attempting to build privately operated space stations.
The stakes are high, with NASA officials and Congress wanting to avoid a gap in having a human presence in orbit. To fill this gap, NASA awarded funding to three companies to develop space station concepts nearly five years ago. However, phase two of the program kept getting delayed due to congressional funding issues and a budget shortfall.
In January, a key Senate staffer resorted to ‘begging’ NASA to release the draft RFP. Then, in March, NASA suggested it may reshuffle the rules again by building a ‘core module’ for the private space stations to dock to. This idea was met with disapproval from most competitors, who are seeking to build ‘free flying’ stations independent of the International Space Station.
The draft RFP has been released this week, and private companies such as Axiom Space, Vast Space, Voyager, Blue Origin, and possibly SpaceX have expressed relief but concern over the document. The main feeling is that the government-sponsored core module idea was widely disliked and seen as an effort by NASA’s Johnson Space Center to remain in the business of operating a space station.
However, there are multiple reasons for concern. One is lost time. Private companies expected phase two to begin at least a year or two ago, and they are struggling to raise funding and support growing workforces in the interim. Companies really need to know exactly what NASA wants and how much it is willing to pay to move forward.
The draft RFP provides guidance but also raises concerns over excessive requirements. Requirements are the key element of a NASA planning document like this, the bureaucratic currency by which NASA buys off on the safety of a spacecraft. Generally, companies prefer fewer requirements as it allows them more freedom for design and innovation. More requirements give NASA engineers more control over the design of vehicles.
Several companies were shocked by the number of requirements levied in the NASA documents. One participant estimated there are more than 3,000 requirements. The companies were hoping for hundreds. Some of the requirements do seem fairly harsh, such as on page 50 of the 246-page ‘contract data requirements list,’ it appears as though NASA’s chief information officer must approve all software purchases a company makes.
The document leaves companies with some key questions, including just how much funding is available—it could be as much as $1.5 billion over five years, or substantially less—and how many companies will be dividing that funding up. If there are two winners, the funding is probably enough. If there are three or more, it could be stretched too thin.
At least the draft RFP is out now, so industry finally knows what NASA is asking of them. However, the budget and lack of clarity on requirements will continue to be a concern for private space station companies.
Source: Original article