NASA has chosen SpaceX to develop a spacecraft to de-orbit the International Space Station by 2030, a contract worth up to $843 million.
As the ISS approaches the end of its operational life and plans for new, commercially owned space stations progress, the original station will need to be safely decommissioned by the end of the decade.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been tasked with deorbiting the International Space Station – a place that UAE astronauts Hazzaa Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi called home for over 194 days in total – when it reaches the end of its operational life in 2030.
“SpaceX has been chosen to develop and deliver the US Deorbit Vehicle, which will enable the space station to deorbit safely and avoid risks to populated areas,” NASA stated.
The spacecraft must be designed to push the 430-tonne ISS, which orbits the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude just above 400 kilometres, into the Pacific Ocean.
Ensuring a Safe Transition: NASA Selects SpaceX to Deorbit ISS as Agency Shifts Focus to Commercial Space Stations
As NASA transitions to commercially owned space destinations nearer to Earth, it is essential to prepare for the safe and responsible deorbit of the International Space Station in a controlled manner at the end of its operational life.
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, added: “Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will assist NASA and its international partners in ensuring a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit when station operations conclude.”
“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 model for science, exploration, and partnerships in space for the benefit of all.”
While SpaceX will develop the deorbit spacecraft, NASA will take ownership after its development and operate it throughout its mission. The spacecraft is expected to be destroyed along with the space station as part of the re-entry process.
International Space Station milestones
The International Space Station began operations in 1998, with the first crew arriving in 2000. It has been utilised by five space agencies – the Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, and State Space Corporation Roscosmos. Each agency is responsible for managing and controlling the hardware it provides, and all five are responsible for its safe deorbit.
The United States, Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of ESA have committed to operating the station until 2030. Russia has committed to continue station operations until at least 2028.
The space station is a unique scientific platform where crew members conduct experiments across multiple research disciplines, including Earth and space science, biology, human physiology, physical sciences, and technology demonstrations not possible on our planet. Crews living aboard the ISS are the hands of thousands of researchers on the ground, having conducted more than 3,300 experiments in microgravity.