SpaceX to build Deorbit Vehicle to usher International Space Station to its doom
The US space agency NASA has awarded $843 mn contract to Elon Musk owned SpaceX to build a unique Deorbit Vehicle to usher the International Space Station (ISS) to its doom.
Washington: The US space agency NASA has awarded $843 mn contract to Elon Musk owned SpaceX to build a unique Deorbit Vehicle to usher the International Space Station (ISS) to its doom.
“Selecting a U.S. 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", NASA said.
"This decision also supports NASA’s plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“The orbital laboratory remains a blueprint for science, exploration, and partnerships in space for the benefit of all", Ken said
The single-award contract has a total potential value of $843 million. The launch service for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle will be a future procurement, according to NASA.
Key Highlights
- The station was designed between 1984 and 1993. Elements of the station were in construction throughout the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe beginning in the late 1980s.
- World's five leading space agencies, CSA (Canadian Space Agency), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), and State Space Corporation Roscosmos, have operated the International Space Station since 1998.
- The station was designed to be interdependent and relies on contributions from across the partnership to function.
- The United States, Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of ESA have committed to operating the station through 2030. Russia has committed to continued station operations through at least 2028.
- The safe deorbit of the International Space Station is the responsibility of all five space agencies.
- Although the primary Mission Control centers are in the US and Russia, several ancillary control centers in Canada, Japan, and Europe also have a role in managing each nation’s elements and crew members.
- ISS carries a crew of between 3 and 13 depending on then number of people and passenger vehicles during handover periods.
- ISS orbits at an altitude of between 370–460 km (200–250 nmi). Its falls towards Earth continually due to atmospheric friction and requires periodic rocket firings to boost the orbit. The ISS orbital inclination is 51.6°, permitting ISS to fly over 90% of the inhabited Earth.
The International Space Station (ISS) ends its operational life in 2030.
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