(CNN) -- It's the most complex construction project in history. NASA's funding of the international space station is scheduled to end in 2016. Flying 250 miles overhead, the international space station can be seen with the naked eye, orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes, usually carrying a crew of six. Now, before construction of the station is even complete, there is already talk of when the lights will be turned off. NASA is waiting for the Obama administration to decide how much longer the station will fly and exactly which direction the U.S. space agency will take next -- a return to the moon, or maybe a trip to Mars?
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President Obama must decide how long to fund the international space station
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NASA's funding of the space station is currently scheduled to end in 2016
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The station's laboratory can conduct valuable science experiments
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Obama may wish to shift NASA funding instead to missions to the moon or Mars
Growing the bacteria in space is much easier than it is on @placeholder.