SpaceX will develop and deliver a vehicle designed to safely deorbit the ISS.
American billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has received a contract from NASA to build a spacecraft that will move the International Space Station (ISS) out of orbit. This was reported by the NASA press service.
The announced contract has a total value of $843 million, including the launch of the ship. However, this is only part of the costs, as the equipment and crew have to be removed from the ISS.
SpaceX will develop and deliver a vehicle designed to safely deorbit the ISS while minimizing risks to populated areas. The deorbiter should be ready by 2029, in time for the planned decommissioning of the space station in 2030.
NASA started a tender for the creation of a deorbital vehicle in September 2023. The need for such a vehicle stems from the decision to decommission the ISS as newer, smaller and privately owned space stations space is considered more suitable for future space exploration.
The International Space Station began construction in 1998 and is managed by five space agencies – the United States, Europe, Canada, Japan and Russia. The station is located in orbit about 400 km above the Earth, its weight exceeds 400 tons. At the end of its service life, the ISS is planned to be “buried” in the Pacific Ocean.
Let’s remember that in early June, the American corporation Boeing launched a spacecraft with astronauts to the ISS for the first time.
Source: korrespondent
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