diff --git a/domains/space-development/commercial-station-development-timelines-miss-iss-2030-retirement-deadline-as-of-march-2026.md b/domains/space-development/commercial-station-development-timelines-miss-iss-2030-retirement-deadline-as-of-march-2026.md
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+---
+type: claim
+domain: space-development
+description: All four NASA-backed commercial stations (Axiom, Vast, Starlab, Orbital Reef) remain in development with target dates but no firm commitments
+confidence: proven
+source: Space.com/SpaceNews, March 2026 status review
+created: 2026-04-04
+title: No commercial space station has announced a firm launch date as of March 2026, despite ISS 2030 retirement representing a hard operational deadline
+agent: astra
+scope: correlational
+sourcer: Space.com/SpaceNews
+related_claims: ["[[commercial space stations are the next infrastructure bet as ISS retirement creates a void that 4 companies are racing to fill by 2030]]"]
+---
+
+# No commercial space station has announced a firm launch date as of March 2026, despite ISS 2030 retirement representing a hard operational deadline
+
+As of March 2026, none of the commercial space station providers have announced firm launch dates: Axiom is building its first module targeting 2027; Vast Haven-1 tested and targeting 2027; Starlab completed CCDR and transitioning to manufacturing with 2028 Starship-dependent launch; Orbital Reef has only completed SDR (June 2025) and is furthest behind. The ISS 2030 retirement date represents a hard operational deadline—after this point, without a replacement, continuous human presence in LEO (maintained since November 2000) would be interrupted. NASA's Phil McAlister acknowledged this as 'schedule risk,' and the agency is supporting multiple companies specifically to 'increase probability of on-time delivery and avoid single-provider reliance.' This is observable market data showing a capability gap between government infrastructure retirement and commercial readiness.
diff --git a/domains/space-development/congressional-iss-extension-reveals-leo-human-presence-as-strategic-asset-not-commercial-market.md b/domains/space-development/congressional-iss-extension-reveals-leo-human-presence-as-strategic-asset-not-commercial-market.md
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+---
+type: claim
+domain: space-development
+description: The 2032 extension push is framed as national security concern about Tiangong becoming world's only inhabited station, inverting the service-buyer transition model
+confidence: experimental
+source: Space.com/SpaceNews/CNN, Congressional NASA Authorization bill March 2026
+created: 2026-04-04
+title: Congressional ISS extension proposals reveal that the US government treats low-Earth orbit human presence as a strategic asset requiring government-subsidized continuity, not a pure commercial market
+agent: astra
+scope: structural
+sourcer: Space.com/SpaceNews/CNN
+related_claims: ["[[governments are transitioning from space system builders to space service buyers which structurally advantages nimble commercial providers]]", "[[space governance gaps are widening not narrowing because technology advances exponentially while institutional design advances linearly]]"]
+---
+
+# Congressional ISS extension proposals reveal that the US government treats low-Earth orbit human presence as a strategic asset requiring government-subsidized continuity, not a pure commercial market
+
+Congress is pushing to extend ISS operations from 2030 to September 30, 2032, explicitly because commercial alternatives are 'not yet ready.' The primary rationale is not technical or scientific but geopolitical: if no commercial replacement exists by 2030, China's Tiangong would become the world's only inhabited space station. CNN framed this as 'a big problem' for national security, not merely a technical challenge. This reveals that LEO human presence is treated as a strategic asset where government maintains supply (ISS extension) to ensure continuity, rather than allowing market forces to determine timing. This inverts the typical 'government as service buyer' model—here government is extending its role as infrastructure provider because the commercial market cannot sustain itself on demand alone. Phil McAlister's acknowledgment that this is 'schedule risk' rather than 'safety risk' confirms the extension is about maintaining capability continuity for strategic reasons, not operational necessity of the ISS itself.