The International Space Station is scheduled to be retired in 2030, bringing an end to three decades of cutting-edge space research. What comes next remains to be seen, as several private companies compete for NASA funding to once again establish an outpost in our planet’s orbit — outside of China’s existing Tiangong space station, that is. As part of Phase 2 of its Commercial Space Stations program, NASA has been seeking feedback from its industry partners. “With the current budget, we don’t think more than two winners is reasonable, but it should absolutely be two in the best interest of the country,” Haot told Ars. More on private space stations: Bonkers New Space Station Expands to Full Size From Single Capsule