NASA has chosen SpaceX to develop a spacecraft that will de-orbit the International Space Station in 2030 in a contract worth up to $843 million. This announcement was made by the agency Wednesday.
As the ISS approaches the end of its operational life, plans for new commercially owned space stations are being put into action. The original space station will eventually need to be safely disposed of by the end of the decade.
The U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, as NASA refers to the craft, will be a unique project. It will differ from SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which currently transports cargo and crew to the station. This new vehicle will be owned and operated by NASA throughout its mission.
Both the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle and the ISS will disintegrate as they reenter the Earth’s atmosphere. SpaceX’s main objective is to guarantee that the station reenters in a manner that poses no risks to populated areas.
The launch contract for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle will be disclosed at a later date.
Originally, NASA and its partners were considering utilizing a Russian Roscosmos Progress spacecraft for the de-orbit mission. However, after studies indicated the necessity of a new spacecraft, NASA opted to collaborate with SpaceX for the project.
The responsibility of ensuring the safe demise of the station is shared by the five space agencies operating on the ISS – NASA, SpaceX, the Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and State Space Corporation Roscosmos. It remains unclear whether the contract cost is being shared among all countries involved.