NASA to Buy a New Space Station. Price Tag: $34.1 Billion

NASA released a Request for Proposals for building a replacement to the International Space Station, with a total budget ceiling of $34.1 billion over 15 years. Four teams—Axiom Space, Blue Origin-led Orbital Reef, Starlab, and Vast—are competing for the contract. NASA will award funding to two or more contractors, with phase 1 offering at least $100 million per team for design and engineering. Winners can expect significant revenue streams, with NASA committing to at least four crewed missions and eight supply shipments in the first four years alone.