Key Senate staffer is “begging” NASA to get on with commercial space stations

Ars Technica • January 15, 2026 • technology

Key Points:

Senate staffer Maddy Davis highlighted that extending the International Space Station (ISS) beyond its planned 2030 deorbit is being considered, contingent on the development of commercial space stations to ensure no gap in human presence in low-Earth orbit.
Davis emphasized Senator Ted Cruz’s priority of maintaining continuous human presence in orbit and urged NASA to accelerate the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program, which funds private companies to develop next-generation space stations.
The CLD program faces delays, with NASA yet to release a long-overdue request for proposals (RFP), partly due to leadership changes and shifting directives under new NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
Boeing supports extending the ISS, but concerns remain about the aging station’s viability;