The United States is extending its operations on the International Space Station through the year 2030. The International Space Station has returned enormous scientific, educational, and technological developments to benefit humanity for more than 20 years, according to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
NASA's announcement comes amid heightened tensions with Russia, one of several nations sharing access to the Space Station. The New York Times noted in June that in the year 2021, Russia and China deepened their cooperation in space.
The US blamed Russia for two emergencies aboard the International Space Station. The International Space Station tilts out of its normal position after a Russian test fire in October. The spaceship that caused the incident was in space so that a Russian crew could film the first feature film aboard the Space Station. On the day of a Russian missile attack, astronauts were forced to seek shelter in the International Space Station. Russia was condemned by the US. Russia didn't acknowledge any wrongdoing.
In an unrelated episode, Russia's space agency left the door open for possible criminal charges related to a hole in one of its spaceships, which Russian media speculated could have been the result of US sabotage. Nelson told Ars Technica that the attacks were false and lacked credibility.
NASA highlighted in its statement on Friday that it is continuing to send humans to Mars and that it is trying to send the first woman and person of color to the moon. In September, NASA underwent a reorganization that seemed to reflect its priorities around the Moon and Mars.
