2024-07-12 04:00:07
A new chapter in space is taking shape as NASA plans to destroy the International Space Station (ISS). The move, marked by an $843 million contract awarded to SpaceX, aims to orchestrate a controlled reentry of the ISS into theEarth’s atmospherescheduled following the end of its operational mission in 2030.
SpaceX will develop a special deorbiting vehicle to carry out this delicate mission. The station, 110 m length74 m from width and 30 m of heightwill enter theatmosphere at over 27,500 km/h before plunging into theocean. Ce project fits into the strategy NASA’s mission to foster future commercial destinations and maintain the exploitation of near-Earth space, according to Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate. Since its first modules launched in 1998, the ISS has hosted astronauts from multiple countries, conducting more than 3,300 scientific experiments in low orbit. However, recurring technical problems and leaks have marked its aging. In addition, the contracts of the participating space agencies, established following the Cold War, expire in 2030.
The station is also threatened by increasing space debris, as evidenced by the incident on June 27. Astronauts were forced to take refuge in the Boeing Starliner capsule following a fragmented Russian satellite threatened the ISS. Fortunately, operations were able to resume normally following an hour.
The exact date for the ISS deorbit has yet to be determined. Although 2030 is in NASA’s budget, Steve Stich, manager of the commercial spaceflight program at the Johnson Space Center, says operations might extend. The ISS will continue operations until planned commercial space stations, such as Axiom Space’s Axiom Station and Orbital Reef, are ready to be deployed. Blue Origin and Sierra Space, are operational.
The sharing of costs and responsibilities among the five space agencies for deorbiting the ISS remains unclear. In 2001, Russia successfully re-entered the Mir station, its fragments falling into the Pacific. This precedent might offer valuable lessons for the upcoming mission.
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