HOUSTON — With the new year comes a new contract extension from the Biden-Harris Administration for NASA's International Space Station.
That means an extra six years for ISS operations in lower earth orbit -- running through 2030.
"We're all on one spaceship called Earth," said Raphael Grau, the deputy manager of the external integration office for the ISS.
NASA launched the ISS in November 1998.
"I've been working on it since May of 1998," Grau said.
"So, you've been working on the Space Station since before there was a Space Station?" asked KHOU 11 News' Xavier Walton.
"Exactly," Grau said.
Grau knows the significance of support from the current administration. The extension means six more years of priceless scientific research.
"Now that the White House has given us the OK to pursue 2030, we'll work with Congress to establish all the laws," Grau said.
Retired NASA Astronaut Clay Anderson spent 152 days on the ISS.
"Space is cool again," Anderson said. "I was Superman every day. I woke up and flew to breakfast. After breakfast, I flew to work. And if I needed a break a flew into the bathroom and I flew while I was going to the bathroom."
That's a little too much information, but when it comes to space exploration right now people can't get enough.
"When people are talking about it and the media is talking about and when kids in school are talking about it and their parents are talking about it, that's good right?" Anderson said.
"Space has become a little bit more approachable for a whole lot more of us,” Grau said.
"There's never been a news crew up to the ISS. I'm just saying." Walton said.
"Well, come on up,” Grau said.
The U.S. has no plans for a new space station to orbit the Earth, according to Anderson. However, NASA is working with other aerospace companies to develop ways to integrate space station modules with the ISS.