ISS Legacy and the Commercial Space Race: Why 2020s Are Launching Humanity Into Deep Space
NASA will retire the ISS by 2030, shifting to commercial space stations, with Phase 2 funding proposals due in late 2025 and winners named in early 2026. Axiom plans to attach its first module to the ISS in 2027; Starlab aims to launch by 2029. China’s Tiangong station has been occupied since 2021 and could become the only crewed outpost if ISS deorbits before replacements are ready.