Satellite image showing an overview of the International Space Station with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, June 7, 2024.
Maxar Technologies | Via Reuters
NASA announced Wednesday that it will have a spacecraft from Elon Musk’s SpaceX company to guide the destruction of the International Space Station later this decade.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has awarded an $843 million contract to SpaceX to build the so-called “American Deorbit spacecraft.” The spacecraft will be designed to guide the football field-sized research laboratory into Earth’s atmosphere after its retirement in 2030.
The SpaceX-built vehicle will effectively destroy the International Space Station by propelling the station back out of orbit.
“It is essential to prepare for the safe and responsible exit of the International Space Station in a controlled manner,” NASA said in a press release, with the US Deorbit spacecraft needed to “ensure that risks to populated areas are avoided.”
SpaceX’s Dragon crew capsule “Endeavour” is seen from the International Space Station on May 2, 2024.
NASA
NASA did not specify whether SpaceX’s design for the US Deorbit would be based on one of the company’s existing spacecraft, such as the Dragon capsules. 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—was preparing for the final demise of the International Space Station, which has been manned since 2000. The ISS, which was created primarily as a manned research laboratory, has seen more than 3,300 experiments conducted in microgravity. This includes research not possible on Earth, such as medical science and technology demonstrations.
But the International Space Station is aging, and NASA and its pioneering partner Roscosmos cannot solve this problem Exacerbating the problem of microscopic leaks in the station.
NASA The study was published on Wednesday Analyzing why it decided to intentionally destroy the ISS in a controlled reentry, the agency evaluated a variety of alternatives, including dismantling the station in orbit or trying to lift the ISS into higher orbit with a large spacecraft like SpaceX’s Starship.
“The space station is a unique artifact whose historical value cannot be overstated. NASA took this into account when determining whether any part of the station could be salvaged for historical preservation or artistic analysis,” the agency wrote.
Ultimately, the agency’s study determined that any attempts to maintain or reuse the ISS were technically or economically infeasible. NASA has indicated the possibility of extending the operational life of the International Space Station beyond 2030, but this has not yet been determined and requires agreement with its international partner agencies.
NASA plans to replace the International Space Station with private space stations and is helping to fund development by American companies through the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations (CLD) program.
The ISS has cost about $150 billion to develop and build, and NASA costs about $4 billion a year to operate, so the agency sees privately built space stations as a way to replace the ISS at a fraction of the cost.
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