NASA is considering commercializing the transport of passengers and cargo to the International Space Station so it can devote its resources to outer space exploration.

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said that NASA does not have the resources to run continuous manned space missions and meet all of its goals set by the NASA Authorization Act of 2005.

"By stimulating the growth of commercial space enterprise, NASA plans to free itself to focus on long-range exploration to the moon and Mars," NASA said in Tuesday’s announcement.

NASA is looking in the private sector to take over the Earth-orbit duites activities and has signed three new agreements with private companies to share information regarding its technology.

Constellation Services International (CSI) of Laguna Woods CA,
SpaceDev in Poway, CA and Houston’s Spacehab are three companies which already have former NASA employees and staff. Two more companies are being contacted as well.