NASA Chooses SpaceX to Decommission the International Space Station
NASA announced on Tuesday that it has chosen SpaceX to construct a spacecraft that will return the International Space Station to Earth’s atmosphere and guide it to its final resting place in the Pacific Ocean upon its retirement in 2030.
Elon Musk’s company has secured a contract potentially worth $843 million to develop and provide the spacecraft named the US Deorbit Vehicle.
Benefits of the US Deorbit Vehicle for Transitioning the ISS
“Choosing a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station enables NASA and its international partners to ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the conclusion of the station’s operations,” stated NASA’s Ken Bowersox.
NASA intends to take ownership of the spacecraft once SpaceX builds it and will oversee operations throughout the mission.
At 430,000 kilograms (950,000 pounds), the ISS is the largest single structure ever constructed in space.
Anticipated Breakdown of the ISS During Re-entry
Drawing from previous observations of the disintegration of stations like Mir and Skylab during atmospheric re-entry, NASA engineers anticipate that the ISS will break apart in three stages.
Initially, the large solar arrays and cooling radiators of the orbital lab will detach, followed by the separation of individual modules from the station’s truss or backbone structure. Finally, the truss and the modules will break apart.
Point Nemo as the Final Resting Place for ISS Debris
While much of the material will vaporize, some large fragments are expected to remain intact. Therefore, NASA is targeting Point Nemo, a remote area of the Pacific Ocean known as the “graveyard” for satellites and spacecraft.
An international crew has continuously occupied the initial module of the ISS since its launch in 1998.
The United States, Japan, Canada, and participating countries of the European Space Agency (ESA) have agreed to maintain operations of the microgravity laboratory until 2030, although Russia, the fifth partner, has committed only until 2028.
In April, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson informed Congress that, given the strained relations between the US and Russia, it would be prudent to initiate the development of a US deorbit vehicle to safely bring down the entire station, preventing any risk of collision.
Several companies, notably Axiom Space and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, are actively pursuing commercial successors to the ISS.
Read the original article on: Science Alert
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