SpaceX is set to build the US Deorbit Vehicle which will ensure a ‘safe and responsible’ transition in low Earth orbit when the ISS ends its operations in 2030.
NASA has selected Elon Musk’s SpaceX to create a spacecraft that will help deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) as it comes to the end of its life at the end of the decade.
The space agency said in an announcement yesterday (26 June) that it will award SpaceX a contract valued up to $843m to develop the spacecraft known as the US Deorbit Vehicle.
“Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations,” Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA.
“This decision also supports NASA’s plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth…The orbital laboratory remains a blueprint for science, exploration and partnerships in space for the benefit of all.”
SpaceX and NASA have worked closely together to deliver cargo and crew to the ISS over the years. In March, three NASA astronauts and one Roscosmos cosmonaut successfully reached the ISS aboard the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule to conduct extensive scientific experiments on the orbital lab.
Shortly after 9 p.m. EDT, @NASA instructed crews aboard the space station to shelter in their respective spacecraft as a standard precautionary measure after it was informed of a satellite break-up at an altitude near the station’s earlier Wednesday. Mission Control continued to…
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) June 27, 2024
While SpaceX will be responsible for developing the US Deorbit Vehicle, NASA said it will take ownership of the spacecraft and operate it throughout the mission. The idea is to ensure the safety of populated areas while the ISS “destructively” breaks up while hurtling back into Earth.
Continuously occupied by humans for nearly 24 years now, the ISS is one of humanity’s greatest achievements. The orbital laboratory is co-operatively run by the US, Europe, Russia, Canada and Japan and is the largest single structure humans ever put into space.
The US, Europe, Japan and Canada have committed to operating the station until 2030, after which commercial replacements will take over some of the tasks performed by the ISS, including Starlab – which is being developed by Voyager Space and Airbus.
While Russia has committed to continued station operations through at least 2028, NASA confirmed that the ISS deorbit will be the responsibility of all five space agencies.
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