NASA has chosen SpaceX to build a “space tug” to safely deorbit the US sections of the International Space Station (ISS) at the end of its operational life in 2030. According to the statement from the US space agency, this vehicle will be responsible for the controlled deorbit of the ISS to ensure its safe reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
The contract, valued at $843 million, has been given to SpaceX to develop the “U.S. Deorbit Vehicle”. This spacecraft will guide the station, which has a size comparable to a football field, on its final trajectory towards Earth. “It is crucial to prepare for the safe and responsible deorbit of the International Space Station in a controlled manner,” NASA said, highlighting the need to avoid risks to populated areas.
Inhabited since 2000, the ISS has been a key laboratory for over 3,300 experiments in microgravity, allowing research that’s impossible on Earth, in fields such as medicine and technology. However, the station is aging and experiencing problems that NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, have been unable to solve, including the appearance of multiple microscopic leaks.
In a recent study, NASA evaluated alternatives to the destruction of the ISS, including dismantling it in orbit or raising it to a higher orbit using a spacecraft like SpaceX’s Starship. However, any preservation attempt proved to be technically and economically unfeasible. NASA also mentioned that the operational life of the ISS could be extended beyond 2030, but this would require reaching agreements with its international partners.
With a development and construction cost of approximately $150 billion and annual operating expenses of $4 billion, NASA believes that private space stations, funded through the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program, could be a more cost-effective alternative to replace the ISS in the future.
