The Journal of Space Commerce
Weekly Review
Orbital Life After ISS and NASA Funding
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Orbital Life After ISS and NASA Funding

Some of the Top Stories from The Journal of Space Commerce This Week

An agreement has been reached between SpaceX and Vast to launch two crewed missions to the International Space Station in support of Vast’s future bid for NASA’s private astronaut missions (PAM). These missions, contingent on Vast being selected by NASA, will be the fifth and sixth such missions ever awarded by the agency.

While Vast is developing its private space station, Haven-1, the company plans to leverage additional missions to the ISS in partnership with NASA to draw on the agency’s extensive expertise. These missions provide opportunities to collaborate with private individuals and international space agency customers through the NASA PAM program and strengthen current partnerships. This is an important step as Vast prepares to compete with its Haven-2 design in NASA’s upcoming Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destination (CLD) Phase II program, which is positioned to select a successor to the ISS.‍

These two missions expand Vast’s launch manifest with SpaceX, which includes the company’s Falcon 9 rocket delivering Haven-1 to low-Earth orbit and a subsequent Dragon mission to fly crew to the commercial space station. Haven-1 will also be supported by Starlink laser-based high-speed internet. ‍

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(L-R) Sławosz Uznański, Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, Tibor Kapu

And speaking of private space missions ... the assigned crew for the Axiom Space Ax-4 mission has completed its training with international partners in anticipation of a planned 14 day mission to the International Space Station.

Astronaut training with international partners is an important part of preparing the assigned Ax-4 astronauts for their planned mission to the International Space Station in spring 2025. Collaborating with NASA and various international partner nations necessitates a thorough understanding of the space station's systems and operations.

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), along with the Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS), have provided astronaut training programs to ensure the assigned Ax-4 crew is adept at functioning within the space station's multinational environment. This training is crucial for the assigned Ax-4 astronauts to efficiently and successfully execute their mission tasks onboard.

The crew of four includes astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary. The mission will be commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is now director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space.

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The Satellite Communication Market, which was valued at $23.1 billion in 2024, is projected to climb to $71.5 billion by the end of 2034, according to a recent study by Global Market Insights.

This growth is primarily fueled by the increasing demand for reliable internet connectivity, particularly in remote and underserved areas where traditional infrastructure is limited or unavailable. The satellite communication market is categorized into two main segments: products and services. The services segment is expected to experience significant expansion, with a CAGR of 12.5% during the forecast period.

The surge in demand for Satcom services is driven by the growing need for satellite solutions in industries such as telecommunications, defense, maritime, aviation, and government. A notable trend in this space is the rising adoption of managed services and connectivity solutions, particularly in regions where conventional infrastructure is scarce.

North America led the satellite communication market in 2023, with a 48.5% market share.

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And finally, a couple of stories coming out of Washington, DC as the country awaits the transition to a new administration.

With Republicans taking control of the U.S. Senate, Texas Senator Ted Cruz has been named as the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The committee is charged with issues dealing with the commercial space industry, as well as NASA.

Sen. Cruz previously served as the Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee in the 118th Congress.

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And a bipartisan group of six U.S. Senators has introduced the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2024, which would provide the agency $25.4 billion in funding for Fiscal Year 2025. The bill's sponsors say the legislation gives NASA clear guidance to keep aeronautics, space exploration, Earth and space science, and technology on a steady course to maintain American aerospace leadership.

The legislation directs NASA to continue the development of all space exploration elements under the Artemis Moon exploration program, to include use of private sector logistics support.

In good news for the companies developing private space stations, the bill requires NASA to maintain a continuous U.S. human presence in Earth’s orbit through and beyond the life of the International Space Station, and directs the agency to use commercially-provided orbiting space stations to ensure a continuous human presence in orbit and transition to use of these commercial stations once the International Space Station reaches the end of its operational life.

The commercial space sector would also benefit from a requirement to continue the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to procure lunar payload delivery from commercial providers and to assess the agency’s future role in the commercial lunar delivery market. It also focuses on advanced communications, navigation capabilities and time synchronization standards to ensure well-coordinated activities on the lunar surface.

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