Satellite imagery shows an overview of the International Space Station with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft on board on June 7, 2024.
Maxar Technologies | via Reuters
NASA announced on Wednesday that it will use a spacecraft from Elon Musk’s SpaceX company to guide the destruction of the International Space Station later this century.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to build the so-called “US Deorbit Vehicle,” a spacecraft designed to guide the football-field-sized lab back into Earth’s atmosphere after it is decommissioned in 2030.
A spacecraft built by SpaceX would re-enter the ISS from orbit, effectively destroying it.
“Preparing for the International Space Station to deorbit in a safe, controlled and responsible manner is critical,” NASA said in a press release, adding that the US deorbit vehicle was needed to “ensure that risks to populated areas are avoided.”
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Endeavour” seen from the International Space Station on May 2, 2024.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
NASA did not say whether SpaceX’s U.S. deorbiter design would be based on the company’s existing spacecraft, such as its Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX and NASA did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the design.
The United States, along with four international partner agencies representing Russia, Europe, Canada, and Japan, are preparing for the eventual end of the ISS, which has been hosting human spaceflight since 2000. Built primarily as a manned research laboratory, the ISS has conducted more than 3,300 experiments in microgravity, including research that would not be possible on Earth, such as medical and technology demonstrations.
But the ISS is aging, and NASA and its key partner, Roscosmos, Micro-leakage problem worsens at stations.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) The study was published Wednesday The space agency analyzed its reasons for deciding to intentionally destroy the ISS with a controlled re-entry. The space agency evaluated various alternatives, including dismantling the station in orbit or attempting to raise the ISS to a higher orbit with a larger spacecraft such as SpaceX’s Starship.
“The Space Station is a unique artifact whose historical value cannot be overstated. NASA took this into consideration when determining whether any portion of the station could be salvaged for historical preservation or technical analysis,” NASA wrote.
Ultimately, a NASA study concluded that any attempt to preserve or reuse the ISS was technically and economically infeasible. NASA has noted the possibility of extending the ISS’s operational life beyond 2030, but that has yet to be determined and requires agreement with international partner agencies.
NASA plans to replace the ISS with a private space station and is helping fund development by U.S. companies through its Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program.
The ISS would cost a total of $150 billion to develop and build, and its annual operating costs for NASA are about $4 billion, so NASA sees a privately built space station as a way to replace the ISS at a fraction of the cost.