SpaceX has secured an $843 million contract from NASA to develop and deliver the US Deorbit Vehicle, designed to ensure the safe and controlled deorbit of the International Space Station (ISS) at the end of its operational life in 2030.
This significant contract underscores NASA’s commitment to a responsible transition in low Earth orbit.
The US Deorbit Vehicle will be instrumental in safely guiding the ISS into a controlled descent, minimizing the risk to populated areas on Earth.
IANS reported, Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, emphasized the importance of this development.
He stated, “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.”
Under the terms of the contract, SpaceX will construct the deorbit spacecraft, while NASA will oversee its operation throughout the mission.
The spacecraft, along with the ISS will destructively break up during re-entry, ensuring that any debris poses minimal risk to populated areas.
Since its launch in 1998, the ISS has been a beacon of international cooperation, hosting astronauts from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), NASA, and Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos.
Each agency has been responsible for managing and controlling the hardware they provided.
The commitment to the ISS extends into the next decade, with the US, Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of ESA pledging to operate the station through 2030.
Russia has committed to its continued operation through at least 2028.
The ISS is currently in its 24th year of continuous crewed operations, having facilitated over 3,300 experiments in microgravity.
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