The space agency NASA has selected SpaceX to develop a spacecraft that will help the International Space Station descend from orbit in 2030. The contract is valued at $843 million.
The ISS is approaching the end of its operational life. Therefore, eventually it will have to be safely disposed of by the end of the decade. This will be done with the help of a spacecraft that NASA calls the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle.
At the moment, little is known about this spacecraft. However, NASA clarified that this spacecraft will be different from the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which delivers cargo and crew to the station, and other spacecraft that provide services to the agency. Unlike these spacecraft, which are built and operated by SpaceX, NASA will take ownership of the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after its development and will operate it during its mission.
After descending from orbit, both the ISS and the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle are expected to disintegrate upon entering the atmosphere. One of the major challenges facing SpaceX is to ensure that the station reenters the atmosphere in a way that does not pose a threat to populated areas.
The contract for launching the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle will be announced separately.
NASA, together with partners, considered the use of the Russian spacecraft "Progress" for the deorbiting mission. However, studies have shown that a new spacecraft is needed for this maneuver. The responsibility for the safe disposal of the station is shared among the five space agencies operating on the ISS: NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the State Corporation "Roscosmos." It is currently unknown whether the contract amount is distributed among all participants.
Source: TechCrunch
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