spacex-to-help-nasa-deorbit-iss-by-2030

On Tuesday, NASA announced that it had selected SpaceX to construct a spacecraft designed to transport the International Space Station back to Earth and ultimately to a permanent location in the Pacific Ocean once its operational life ends in 2030.

 

Elon Musk's company has secured a contract worth up to $843 million to create and transport the spacecraft named 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," said NASA's Ken Bowersox in a statement.

 

NASA intends to acquire the spacecraft once it is constructed by SpaceX and oversee operations throughout the mission's duration.

 

The International Space Station (ISS), which weighs 430,000 kilograms (950,000 pounds), stands as the largest individual structure ever assembled in space.

 

Drawing from historical observations of the atmospheric re-entry disintegration of other stations like Mir and Skylab, NASA's engineers anticipate the orbital outpost breaking up in three phases.

 

Initially, the colossal solar arrays and the radiators responsible for regulating the temperature of the orbital lab will detach. Then, the individual modules will separate from the truss or the station's central support structure. Lastly, the truss and the modules themselves will disintegrate.

 

Most of the material is likely to be turned into vapour, but sizable fragments are anticipated to endure. Because of this, NASA is targeting an area in the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo, which is one of the most secluded places on the planet and is referred to as the resting place for satellites and spacecraft.

 

The first segment of the ISS was launched in 1998, and an international crew has continuously inhabited it since 2001.

 

Several companies, including Axiom Space and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, are developing commercial successors to the ISS.