Money moves are underway for NASA as the agency announced plans to open the International Space Station to more commercial interests and ditch its long-time ban on tourists in an effort to fund further missions.
The Russian state commission, established after the failed liftoff of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle on Thursday, has set up a subcommission to consider the options for further exploitation of the International Space Station (ISS), including the possibility of its temporary shutdown, a source in the rocket and space industry told Sputnik on Saturday.
The ISS, with its first section, launched back in 1998, was jointly developed by the US and Russia and allows international crews to conduct scientific research in a low Earth orbit environment.