Washington

The US space agency NASA last week tried to reassure scientists that it intends to furnish the International Space Station with its planned complement of research equipment. But some hardware will arrive years later than planned. And neither NASA nor the White House can yet say how the agency will pay for any science facilities installed after 2003.

Mark Uhran, director of research integration for the NASA office sponsoring station research, told a task force of the National Academy of Sciences that it was not a question of whether the facilities would be built, “it's a question of when”.

His remarks were meant to allay space biologists' fears that some vital hardware — including a centrifuge for investigating the effects of gravity on test animals and plants — might be scrapped (see Nature 410, 399; 2001) because of a projected $4 billion shortfall in the station's budget for the next five years.

The planned US contribution is 27 'racks' of research hardware — multipurpose facilities each about the size of a fridge-freezer. The first 10 are nearly complete, said Uhran, and will launch by the end of next year. Partners will contribute their own lab equipment.

When the remaining racks, including facilities for life sciences, fluids and combustion research and materials science, will be installed is less certain. The latest schedule suggests 2004 to 2006. But Uhran said he could only give a date once NASA had restructured the station's budget in a few months' time.

NASA administrator Dan Goldin told the House Science Committee last week that one option for proceeding after 2004 would be to have European or Japanese partners pay for some lab equipment — perhaps in exchange for more use of the station (the United States has 75% use).

France and Italy are interested in building the crew rescue vehicle and living quarters, both recently cancelled by NASA to save money. Without the rescue vehicle, the station would be limited to three crew members.

Meanwhile, one partner has its own troubles. Japan's space agency NASDA is building the centrifuge for NASA in exchange for a ride on the US space shuttle for Japan's laboratory module. But NASDA managers admit hardware development problems will delay the centrifuge to 2008 at the earliest.