SpaceX has a plan. It will destroy the International Space Station
NASA and SpaceX unveil plan to deorbit the International Space Station, with the operation set to begin in just a few years.
International Space Station (ISS) is a huge achievement of modern astronomy. The project, which has been in operation for almost a quarter of a century, has contributed to many scientific discoveries and has become a showcase of what international cooperation can look like in the name of the development of all humanity. However, nothing lasts forever and today we are well aware that the days of the ISS are numbered. NASA and SpaceX revealed how they intend to take the station out of orbit.
NASA and SpaceX will work together to push the ISS out of orbit
The plan is to use a specially redesigned ship Dragon Cargo, equipped with 46 Draco engines. This is 30 more than in the standard version of the vehicle. This is to provide the special Dragon with four times more power than the original. Thanks to this, it will be able to push the ISS out of orbit and send it towards the Earth’s surface.
The plan is to drop the ISS into one of the oceans, so that the falling object will not pose a threat to anyone on the surface. The final resting place of the station has not yet been chosen, but one thing is certain – the entire operation will require enormous precision.
With 6x more propellant and 4x the power of today’s Dragon spacecraft, SpaceX was selected to design and develop the US Deorbit Vehicle for a precise, controlled deorbit of the @Space_Station https://t.co/GgtuplTwqQ pic.twitter.com/E23sS7CE4U
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 17, 2024
NASA will pay SpaceX for help in implementing the project $843 million. The operation will most likely start in 2031. Until then, both NASA and Roscosmos plan to continue using the ISS until 2030.
