At the end of its life, Elon Musk’s SpaceX won the contract to land on NASA’s International Space Station.
The contract, valued at up to $843 million, will be awarded via a press release on Wednesday, June 26.
After enduring 3,300 impossible experiments on Earth, the International Space Station will retire in 2030. Elon Musk’s SpaceX will “develop and deliver” a vehicle that “will provide the ability to deorbit the space station and avoid danger.” to populated areas.”
Once built, NASA takes it over and manages it throughout its mission. Additionally, the space station is expected to be destroyed as part of the reentry process.
SpaceX is an American spacecraft manufacturer, flight services provider, and satellite communications company based in California. It was founded in March 2002 by Elon Musk and the company has been a commercial partner of NASA for years.
It was one of two American companies NASA spoke to in 2014 about exploring commercial space vehicles.
NASA commissions SpaceX to deorbit the space station
“Selecting a U.S. deorbit vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition to low-Earth orbit during station operations,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of the International Space Station. NASA Space Mission Directorate.
“This decision also supports NASA’s plans for future commercial missions and will enable near-Earth space exploration.”
The International Space Station weighs more than 400,000 kilograms and will soon pass its peak after 25 years in orbit.
It was in September 2023 that NASA first submitted a request for a pre-landing deorbitation vehicle to SpaceX, which has now been approved.
The company has yet to share its plans for what the car will look like, but it should be ready by 2029 ahead of its planned retirement in 2030.
Main photo: Via Flickr
