Additional Coverage:
- SpaceX is building a superpowered spaceship to scrap the International Space Station for NASA (businessinsider.com)
As the International Space Station (ISS) approaches its final years in orbit, NASA and SpaceX are finalizing plans for its decommissioning, slated for the early 2030s. SpaceX will employ a specially modified Dragon spacecraft, enhanced to manage the complex task of safely deorbiting the massive structure.
The planned demise of the ISS, a pioneering space laboratory that has hosted hundreds of astronauts since its inception 23 years ago, was detailed earlier in June when NASA disclosed a contract with Elon Musk’s SpaceX worth up to $843 million. In recent updates, the two entities outlined how an upgraded, extra-powerful Dragon spacecraft will maneuver the nearly million-pound station out of orbit, aiming for a controlled descent into a secluded part of the ocean around 2031.
SpaceX’s Dragons are a common sight at the ISS, typically ferrying crew and supplies. However, the task of bringing down the ISS demands far more power than these routine missions.
SpaceX plans to retrofit a Cargo Dragon with a high-performance trunk and equip it with 76 Draco engines, substantially more than the standard configuration, to create a “deorbit vehicle.” This revamped spacecraft will be double the length and have six times the propellant of the current Dragons, providing the needed thrust to steer the ISS towards Earth.
An illustration shared by SpaceX on social media platforms shows the proposed enhancements to the Dragon, designed to handle the crucial final burn that will direct the ISS towards its watery grave. According to Sarah Walker, director of Dragon mission management at SpaceX, this burn is the mission’s most challenging aspect, requiring precise control to overcome the increasing atmospheric drag and ensure a pinpoint landing in the ocean, likely in the South Pacific.
Walker expressed pride in SpaceX’s role in this significant phase of space exploration, noting the symbolic nature of the mission. Dragon made history in 2012 as the first commercial vehicle to dock with the ISS and is set to be its final visitor.
While NASA had considered using three Russian Progress spacecraft for this task, the size of the ISS made that option unfeasible. NASA and Roscosomos, the Russian space agency, intend to operate the ISS until 2030 before transitioning to their respective new space stations. NASA envisions becoming a client on future private space stations as it continues to advance its space exploration goals.