Could the International Space Station become a commercial venture run by private industry?
That is the wish of the White House, which hopes to end funding for the costly program within a few years, The Washington Post reported Sunday.
The US plan, the paper said, involves privatizing the ISS, a low-orbit space station piloted by the US space agency NASA and developed jointly with its Russian counterpart.
The station has allowed international crews-notably in collaboration with the Canadian, European and Japanese space agencies-to pursue scientific research in the environment of a low Earth orbit.
“NASA will expand international and commercial partnerships over the next seven years in order to ensure continued human access to and presence in low Earth orbit,” the document says.
To ensure a smooth transition, the White House would ask the private sector to provide market analyses and development plans, the Post reported.
The plan is expected to face stiff opposition. The United States has already spent some $100 billion to launch, operate and support the orbital station.
It was not clear, however, how private companies might profit from taking over the aging station-its first section was launched in 1998.
NASA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.