A bipartisan group of senators wants the U.S. to establish a new National Institute for Space Research to "ensure the nation is equipped to lead in the next space race" against China.

The institute would coordinate national research on whichever private space stations will pick up the baton after the International Space Station (ISS) retires in 2030. But that outcome requires Congress' approval of the newly proposed Space RACE (Research And Continuing Exploration) Act.

The senatorial group, which includes former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly (D-AZ), argue that the new institute is needed to reduce opportunities for China's Tiangong space station to pick up multinational research after the ISS retires. And it's not the first time Congress has brought this up; hearings under the Biden administ

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